The Gujarat government has told the Supreme Court that investigations into the allegation of "fabricating" evidence in a post-Godhra riots case purportedly at the behest of activist Teesta Setalvad has been "supported" by the statements of witnesses.
The state government said this in an affidavit and annexed the statements of seven witnesses who recorded their evidence between July 22 and 25 last year before a senior police officer as per the direction of a court in Ahmedabad.
Giving names of the witnesses, the affidavit filed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad City, said "I have gone through the same (witnesses statements) and I say that all of them have supported the contents of the complaint."
The Gujarat government annexed the affidavits of the witnesses placed before the apex court in 2003 to buttress allegation against Setalvad as in the latest statements the witnesses have stated that some averments and facts mentioned in their earlier affidavits were those which they had objected.
The witnesses said their previous affidavits were "prepared" at the office of Setalvad's former close aide, Rais Khan Pathan, who is also accused of fabricating the evidence in the Naroda Gam case in which 11 people were killed.
According to the copies of the fresh statements annexed with the latest affidavit, some of them alleged that to their "knowledge Setalvad was sending these affidavits to Khan after preparing the same."
The ACP on July 25 last had also examined Khan, who said Setalvad used to send all details and names after preparing such affidavits.
The issue is likely to be heard tomorrow by the apex court which on September 2 stayed proceedings by entertaining Setalvad's plea against the Gujarat High Court's order giving green signal for probe against Khan.
