Teesta Setalvad bought Jewellery & Wine from funds meant for Riot victims: Crime Branch

Above: Affidavit filed by Crime Branch, Ahmedabad against Teesta Setalvad

Nailing Teesta Setalvad's lies of incurring expenditure “strictly in accordance with the budget lines approved and authorized by Board of Trustees” today K. N. Patel, Assistant Commissioner of Police and IO, Cyber Crime Cell, Crime Branch, Ahmedabad City has filed a detailed sur–rejoinder opposing anticipatory bail of Teesta and her husband Javed Anand. Shri Ajay Choksi, Special PP, argued the matter in the Court of Session Judge at Ahmedabad, today.

The I.O has stated that “I have also sought credit card details from the Citi Bank. The details received would shock the conscience of this Hon’ble Court:”. The investigation has revealed very interesting facts related to 3 credit card of Citi Bank having number 5520938031023006, 5520938045202125 and 5498520510664506 which belong to Teesta Setalvad, accused no.1. Citi Bank credit card number 5520938031023006 was issued in August 2009 & was closed in September 2010. Card number 5520938045202125 was issued in September 2010 and closed in June 2012 and card number 5498520510664506 was issued in June 2012 which is active till date. Total amount of Rs. 14.20 lacs have been paid towards the credit card dues from the FCRA & SB Accounts of Citizen for justice and Peace (CJP) of which Teesta and Javed  are its chief trustees. It appears that the change of credit cards every year was intentional so as to avoid any scrutiny by the Income Tax Authorities, the affidavit says.

IO has stated that City Bank card details portray a shocking picture of how expenses of absolutely personal nature have been undertaken and sought to be explained away as miscellaneous expenses by Accused No-1, Teesta Setalvad. The data received from the City Bank show that substantial amounts are spent towards shopping, entertainment, foreign goods purchased, domestic requirements and other ancillary expenses of absolutely personal nature. Huge expenditure has been made such as purchase of branded shoes from Metro Shoes and Reebok Shoes, monthly hair styling expenses from Shivas Hair Designers - Bombay, Geetanjali Salon - Delhi, Body Shop. Purchase of clothes from Fabindia, Westside, Pantaloons, Shoppers Stop, United Color of Benetton in Rome, Khadi from Islamabad, Marks and Spencer, Online shopping from FlipKart, Amazon Marketing, and purchase of Google Storage in US Dollars, purchase of electronic goods from Croma - Mumbai, dining expenses at Hotel Taj and several prestigious restaurants such as Out of the Blue, Little Italy, Café Leopold, Rays Café & Pizzeria - Mumbai, Barbecue Nation, Music Systems from BOSE Corporation & Purchases of Music/Movies from Apple iTunes, Purchase of Jewellery from Amrapali Jewels, watches, suitcases, health equipments, gift articles from emporiums, Art Gallery from Islamabad including Plants from Flora Land and Green Grower - Mumbai etc.

The Affidavit says that Teesta has made payment from the account of CJP of hundreds of US Dollars/Pound Sterling/Canadian Dollar towards Scholastic Aptitude Test, college board entrance in US college, Oxford college and University of British Columbia for admission etc.

The affidavit further states that “from the scrutiny of credit card payments the most shocking revelation came from the payment made by accused no. 1 from the CJP’s account towards wine and liquor purchases from Chincholi Wines - Mumbai and Duty Free Shop of Mumbai airport, movie tickets from PVR cinemas & regular grocery purchases from Willingdon stores - Mumbai. Shopping expenses in Kuwait Dinar, US Dollars, Canadian Dollars, Euro, Pound Sterling and Pakistani Rupee have been noticed in the credit card expenses.”

Whether the Board of Trustees of Sabrang Trust and CJP have ever authorized to Teesta and Javed, as repeatedly claimed by them, to meet such purely personal expenditure is a subject matter of investigation. The Police says that it will investigate as to how the Chartered Accountant who has audited the accounts of these 2 trusts have not noticed that the trustees are using the trust fund other than for the purpose received.

The Police has submitted the following summary of total funds received by CJP and Sabrang Trust vis-à-vis amount transferred by them to their personal family accounts,

Sabrang Trust received Rs. 1,33,44,248, CJP received foreign donation Rs. 1,15,64,687, CJP received local donation Rs. 4,66,83,642. Total donation received Rs 7.16 crores

Total amount transferred to:

1. Teesta Setalvad - Rs.32,09,524

2. Javed Anand - Rs. 20,62,675

3. Sabrang Communication Pvt. Ltd - Rs. 1,20,14,356

4. Tamara Setalvad - Rs. 1,38,270

5. Cash withdrawal - Rs.75,28,000       

6. Credit card payment of  Teesta from CJP - Rs. 14,20,000

7. Credit Card payment of Javed Anand from Sabrang Trust - Rs. 2,97,924

Total - Rs. 2.67 Crores                                                                   

Teesta and her husband under the guise of providing financial and legal help and promising rehabilitation of the riots victims have induced the victims of the Gulbarg society to co-operate with them in terms of giving interviews, photographs, enabling the accused to collect huge funds by way of donations Having received huge foreign donations for the upliftment of the riots victims, their rehabilitation, putting up of the “Museum of Resistance” as promised to the complainants and other victims, the accused have committed the offences referred to in the F.I.R. and have siphoned off the amounts to their personal use.

Police said that  The donations received for public purpose cannot be permitted to be frittered away towards shopping, entertainment and such other expenses of a purely personal nature. The prosecution craves leave to place the credit card details for the kind perusal of the Hon’ble Court to highlight the manner in which the expenses sought to be made for achieving the object of the Trust, have actually been expended.

The Police has also taken a serious objection of Teesta dragging the name of Gujarat’s CM Shri Narendra Modi. Teesta in her counter affidavit already admitted that she has taken the amounts mentioned in the Police report.

Police has said that there is a prima facie case against accused no. 1 and 2 and their custodial interrogation is imperative to examine the manner in which the huge funds have been transferred to their personal accounts. They have also not co-operated with the investigation.

After hearing Ajay Choksi, Special PP, the Court has reserved the order and  fixed 25th March,2014 for the pronouncement of Judgement.

Also View: Evidence Against Teesta Setalvad for more such instances.