Activist Teesta Setalvad gets interim bail by Supreme Court in Gujarat riots case
Setalvad was arrested on June 25 for allegedly fabricating evidence to frame “innocent people” in the 2002 Gujarat riot cases. Granting the bail, the apex court also said Setalvad would render complete cooperation in the probe, and asked her to surrender her passport.
FollowThe Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to activist Teesta Setalvad in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots case. She is charged with creating fabricated witness statements and presenting them to the Nanavati panel established to look into the disturbances.
The apex court, however, noted it has considered the matter from the 'standpoint of interim bail only' and that the 'Gujarat HC shall decide Teesta's bail plea independently and uninfluenced by any observations made by this court.' It also asked Teesta to surrender her passport.
Setalvad will now be released after the bail formalities — such as submission of her passport — for which she "should be produced before the concerned court as early as possible," the bench ruled, saying that she must cooperate with the investigation.
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For allegedly manipulating evidence to incriminate "innocent persons" in the 2002 Gujarat riot cases, Setalvad was detained on June 25. She was detained on suspicion of criminal conspiracy, forgery, and other IPC violations as a result of a FIR Inspector Darshansinh Barad filed with the DCB that contains several citations from the court order.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court asked the Gujarat state government, "What kind of material have you gathered in the last two months" against activist Teesta Setalvad, and questioned the Gujarat High Court's decision to schedule her bail hearing for September 19 — almost six weeks after it issued notice.
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