The former aide of Teesta Satalvad recently appeared on Republic TV and stated that the Congress party had funded all of the alleged activist Teesta Satalwad’s political activities during the Gujarat riots in 2002  to harm Narendra Modi, who was the then-CM.

On June 26, in an interview with Republic TV, Rais Khan Pathan claimed that Teesta was in touch with numerous Congress heavyweights, including Ahmed Patel and Sonia Gandhi, who assured the alleged activist of financial and social support. “Ahmed Patel visited Circuit House, Shahibaug in Ahmedabad in 2002. Khan and I went to meet him, and Teesta informed him that she lacked the money to carry out the activities as planned.” When Teesta needed money, Patel instructed the chairman of the hotel association, a guy by the name of Narendra Brahmbhatt, to provide it to her.

He continued by saying that Teesta received Rs 5 lakhs right away and a pledge of assistance from the whole Congress Party.

According to Rais Khan, every affidavit submitted on behalf of a witness in relation to the riots in Gujarat in 2002 was prewritten, and the witnesses were unaware of its contents. Before framing the affidavits, Teesta didn’t consult anyone. Nobody was aware of the contents of them. Even one of the witnesses, Madina Pathan, was unaware of the contents of the affidavit submitted in her name, Pathan claimed.

At her late husband’s home in Naroda Gam, Madina, who was a young bride at the time, allegedly suffered a rape and stabbing. She has, however, claimed to the SIT that she was stabbed rather than raped. She claimed that because the declaration was written in English, a language she couldn’t read, write, or understand, she had no idea what it said.

“They (the witness) were unaware of the contents of the affidavit. So how were they able to determine what was contained in the affidavit?” Before SIT, they were honest. Teesta instructed victims to pressurise the government by lying. She attempted to explain the same concept to Madina, but in the end she said the truth to SIT. Teesta was very upset with her, Pathan stated. He further mentioned how Teesta had received criticism from Madina for submitting a fraudulent affidavit in her name. She had categorically refuted the allegations of being raped.

Pathan claims that the victims filed a joint police report (FIR) against Teesta Setalvad for allegedly filing fraudulent affidavits in their names. They asserted that each and every affidavit submitted by Setalvad was a forgery and wholly false. “I also provided a court with an affidavit in the year 2011.” Pathan reiterated that Teesta Setalvad was supported by the Congress party and that there was plenty of evidence against her.

He claimed that after being transported to Delhi, the victims were given lodging at Parliament Street’s Vithal Bhai Patel House. Later, they were forced to see Sonia Gandhi and Ahmed Patel of the Congress, who told the victims to follow Teesta and promised her financial help.

A day after being detained by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in connection with case of forging criminal conspiracy and insulting criminal proceedings to cause hurt filed against her, Teesta Setalvad was arrested on Sunday by the Ahmedabad crime branch. This incident occured following the Supreme Court rejected a plea contesting the SIT’s clean chit of former Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and others in the 2002 post-Godhra riots charges.

Along with two other people, Setalvad has been charged with violating IPC sections 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using a forged document or record as genuine), 194 (providing or creating false evidence with the intent to obtain a conviction for a capital offence), and other IPC sections.

 

DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text.