In an affidavit filed here on Friday, the state said Teesta Setalvad, head of Centre for Justice and Peace, had been tutoring witnesses to depose before the SIT.
The Supreme Court order of April 27, 2009, directing to constitute the SIT was illegal and non binding, said the Gujarat government.
The document signed by Gujarat Additional Secretary Home Dhananjay Dwivedi said the application of Jakia Jafri, the wife of slain former MP Ali Ehesan Jafri, was drafted by a legal expert which allegedly been tutored by Setalvad.In 2006, the Gujarat police had approached Jakia Jafri and she had refused to cooperate with the investigation into the killing of his wife by a mob during the riots. The Gujarat government has initiated to frame laws for the role of NGOs in such situation, the application said.
On the last date of hearing the Supreme Court had directed the state government to file a reply to the application filed by Setalvad. A bench comprising Justices D K Jain, Aftab Alam and P Sathasivam heard the application moved by the Centre for Justice and Peace.
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