March 13, 2013
Public Statement –
from Citizens for Justice & Peace
& Sabrang Trust
A deliberate campaign to vilify the efforts to procure justice for
the Victims of the carnage of 2002 that has been sustained and
supported by vested powerful interests in Gujarat and the opposition
party at the national level has reached new heights over past weeks.
Malafide attempts to embroil us in more false cases before the
Gujarat police (that can be then manipulated to intimidate our
efforts) have compelled us to issue this Communication to the Joint
Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ahmedabad, Gujarat Police. The
detailed communication is self-explanatory. We urge that you
circulate this among all peace-loving persons supportive of the
struggle for justice against the powerful perpetrators of 2002.
Attached are also letters written by the official members of the
Gulberg Society to the Media and the Police.
March 13, 2013
To
Shri A.K. Sharma,
Joint Commissioner of Police
Crime Branch,
Ahmedabad
Dear Sir,
We the undersigned Trustees and office bearers of the Citizens for
Justice and Peace and Sabrang Trust need to bring some distressing
and disturbing facts to your notice. We have been given to
understand that some persons claiming to be official representatives
of the Gulberg society have written to you making false and malafide
allegations against our organisation that has been assisting
Survivors of the Gujarat genocide of 2002 to access justice. CJP has
been assisting dozens of survivors of the Gujarat 2002 carnage and
have been co-petitioners in the Smt Zakia Jafri case against chief
minister Narendra Modi and 61 others [protest petition to be filed
by April 15, 2013].
Official representatives of the Gulberg society we are informed have
already written to you today stating that the letter-head of the
society has been forged by some residents and the claims being made
by them are patently false since nothing has been parted from them.
The false claims that CJP has raised Rs 63 lakhs and Sabrang Trust
has raised Rs 88 lakhs for the purpose of the construction of the
museum, nationally and internationally is a total lie. To clarify,
CJP has never sought nor received any money for this purpose. Till
November 2012, Sabrang Trust had received a total donation in of Rs.
4,10,285 from donors within India and Rs 50,000 from one individual
overseas for the proposed dream museum. This is a matter between our
donors and the Trust which we will address when a final decision on
the issue is made. All other funds, nationally and internationally
raised, have been funds legitimately collected for activities that
we publicly engage in. Our accounts are audited and submitted to the
relevant authorities.
We would like to state clearly that at no point have any of the
organisations that we are connected to claimed any amount or money
or land from any person residing at or claiming to be part of
Gulberg society. Survivors of the carnage and we did have dreams of
a Gulberg Memorial commemorating the state sponsored carnage. This
idea that emerged in 2007 had finally to be abandoned when prices
for real estate spiralled and we thus informed the society of these
difficulties. A formal resolution of the society was passed after
this was conveyed to them, leaving the members free to sell off
their properties as per law. In no way have either CJP or Sabrang in
any way cheated them or let down the society.
We believe that with the date of the filing of Smt. Zakia Jafri’s
‘Protest Petition’ draws near, this charade is being orchestrated by
a nexus of vested interests to create a diversion and to malign CJP
and Sabrang Trust. The cases being handled by us involve the most
powerful in the state and relate to public justice and it appears
that some vested interests have colluded to make false allegations
and distract us from the onerous and dangerous task at hand..
We would like to state that this appears to be part of a sinister
campaign being unleashed against us by some persons being
manipulated by a former employee Rais Khan Pathan who is using some
residents of the society (not official members) and sections of the
police and some persons claiming to be official members of the
society.
We would like to state categorically that both CJP and Sabrang
officially receive money for legitimate activities and following the
legally required procedures. By unleashing this set of manipulated
lies and using sections of the police towards this end, the dubious
nexus of these persons with a former employee and the powerful in
the state of Gujarat are trying to de-rail the proposed protest
petition. Khan tried to petition the FCRA department (see attached
documents) in January 2013 and this was followed by an official
representative of the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) Gujarat in
February 2013. Hence the nexus that we are alleging is based on
developments that have been in the public domain and have been
clearly aimed at derailing the Smt Zakia Jafri Protest Petition
against Narendra Modi and others. (Please refer
http://dailypioneer.com/nation/120144-rais-khan-alleges-fcra-violation-by-teesta-cjp.html
Rais Khan alleges FCRA violation by Teesta, CJP
Friday, 04 January 2013 22:26
followed by
http://www.indianexpress.com/assembly-elections/news/bjp-mp-seeks-action-against-setalvad/1068267/0
BJP MP seeks action against Setalvad.
In the eleven-long years of the battle for justice, the allegations
have remained the same those who made them have changed. In 2004 it
was Zahira Shaikh a star witness in the Best Bakery Case. Our
organisation and its role has been repeatedly exonerated and
recognised for assisting the legal struggle of poor witnesses. In
2010 it was a former employee of our organisation, Rais Khan Pathan.
In 2011 Yasmeen Shaikh another witness was egged on by the former
employee, Rais Khan. Each time we at CJP have sought impartial
judicial exoneration. Sir, please do take a few moments to go
through the sustained and malicious campaigns that is enlisted in
the accompanying note
“Background Facts” (Annexure I).
It is clear that he is being propped up by the powerful in the
state.
This illustrates how even the current spate of similar allegations
sought to be made through some residents of the Gulberg society, are
in actuality being manipulated by Rais Khan who is being propped up
by powerful persons including influential lawyers representing the
ruling party who are supporting him.The HonÂ’ble Supreme Court has
already stayed two such malicious complaints in which even sections
of the Gujarat police have played a role siding openly with Shri
Khan. The matters are pending final hearing.
Sir we therefore urge that the Crime Branch of the Gujarat Police
looks at the complete background and nexus when it deals with the
current set of false allegations. We would like to reiterate that
our organisation (s) function lawfully and urge that this malafide
complaint is not made a manipulative tool by the Crime Branch. Any
genuine investigations or inquiries our Trustees would gladly
respond to.
Thanking You,
Yours Sincerely
IM Kadri
Raghunandan Maluste
(President, CJP) (Vice
President, CJP)
Teesta Setalvad
Nakul Mehta
(Secretary, CJP & Trustee Sabrang Trust) (Trustee
Sabrang Trust)
130304False and Forged letter Gulberg (to media official societyletter) |
130313 Annexure I to Public Statement |
130313 Gulberg Society (official) letter to Jt. CP |