False evidence case: Court rejects discharge plea of RB Sreekumar

Ahmedabad: A city sessions court dismissed the discharge application of Former DGP R.B. Sreekumar in relation to allegations of fabricating evidence in the 2002 riots case, including against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sreekumar claimed innocence and argued that he was wrongly implicated in Zakia Jafri’s appeal against the SIT’s closure report. He also raised concerns about the hasty filing of the FIR, which did not name anyone as per the Supreme Court order. The court ruled that the charges against Sreekumar should be examined during the trial and cannot be determined at this stage. He also denied allegations of tutoring witnesses and forgery.

The prosecution opposed the discharge plea, presenting evidence of Sreekumar’s alleged involvement in the conspiracy. Additional sessions judge A.R. Patel rejected the plea, stating that the contentions raised by Sreekumar were not maintainable at this stage and can be examined during the trial.

Sreekumar, Teesta Setalvad, and ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt face charges in an FIR filed by the city crime branch following the Supreme Court’s remarks on false charges in Zakia Jafri’s case. DeshGujarat