Teesta Setalvad's application for regular bail in a case related to the 2002 Godhra riots has been dismissed by the Gujarat High Court. The activist is accused of fabricating documents to implicate higher functionaries of the then Gujarat government. Justice Nirzar Desai pronounced the order, noting that Setalvad had been on interim bail for the past year and directed her to surrender immediately before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the case.
Teesta Setalvad, a prominent activist, faced a major setback as the Gujarat High Court rejected her plea for regular bail in connection with a case involving the alleged fabrication of documents pertaining to the 2002 Godhra riots. Justice Nirzar Desai, the single-judge hearing the case, ordered Setalvad to surrender immediately before the SIT investigating the matter, as she had been on interim bail granted by the Supreme Court for the past year.
The case against Setalvad emerged following adverse remarks made by a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court in June 2022 while dismissing a plea filed by Zakia Jafri, the wife of Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, who was killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The apex court accused Setalvad and former Director General of Police, Sreekumar, of making false revelations with the intention to create a sensation.
Consequently, Setalvad was arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad in Mumbai and taken to Gujarat, while Sreekumar was also arrested in the state. Despite a subsequent plea for bail, an Ahmedabad sessions court refused to grant Setalvad bail, citing her alleged motive to "destabilize" the Gujarat government and defame the state.
Setalvad then approached the Gujarat High Court, which issued a notice to the SIT and adjourned the hearing. Frustrated with the delay, she appealed to the Supreme Court, which granted her interim bail in September 2022. However, with the recent ruling by the Gujarat High Court, Setalvad must surrender to the SIT without delay.
The decision by the Gujarat High Court marks a significant turn of events in the legal proceedings surrounding the 2002 Godhra riots case. The rejection of Setalvad's bail plea and the order to surrender emphasize the gravity of the allegations against her.
Case Title: Teesta Atul Setalvad vs State of Gujarat
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