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Supreme Court Extends Interim Bail Of Teesta Setalvad In 2002 Riots Case After Staying Gujarat HC Order
Teesta Setalvad, who is an accused in the 2002 Gujarat riots, has been granted interim bail.
The Supreme Court has extended the interim bail of activist Teesta Setalvad until further orders. She stands accused of fabricating evidence related to the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The plea challenging the Gujarat High Court's denial of bail to Setalvad, along with the direction to surrender to authorities "immediately," will be heard and decided on 19 July, as stated by the apex court.
In its rejection of Setalvad's bail plea last Saturday, the Gujarat HC expressed concerns that granting her bail would "deepen and widen communal polarisation" at a time when the country is striving for progress and strengthening communal harmony and brotherhood.
Justice Gavai expressed surprise at the urgency of taking Setalvad into custody, questioning whether it was necessary to do so immediately and highlighting that granting interim protection for a few days would not cause any harm.
The SC bench acknowledged that, under normal circumstances, it would not have considered the request for a stay. However, it noted that after the registration of the FIR on 25 June 2022 and the petitioner's arrest, the court had previously granted interim bail on certain conditions on 2 September 2022.
