New Delhi, 2nd September 2022: The Supreme Court has granted interim bail to social activist and journalist Teesta Setalvad in the 2002 Gujarat riots case.
Setalvad is accused of fabricating false witness statements and appearing before the Nanavati Commission set up to probe the riots. The Supreme Court has barred her from leaving the country and asked her to cooperate fully with the investigation.
The bail application of Setalvad was heard in the Supreme Court on Friday and the court has granted interim bail to Setalvad. She was arrested on 25th June by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch in a case related to her NGO and she was in custody for more than two months. The police interrogated her for seven days. The High Court has asked to hear the bail on 19th September. The court granted her interim bail and also asked her to submit her passport to the lower court and cooperate with the investigation.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Supreme Court expressed concern over Setalvad’s detention for more than two months and questioned how the Gujarat High Court issued a notice after six weeks seeking answers. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India U.U. Lalit also said that there is no offense in this case for which bail cannot be granted. The judge said that Teesta has been in jail for more than two months and no charge sheet has been filed yet.