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Synopsis

The Supreme Court today has allowed Teesta Setalvad, who is presently on bail in an evidence fabrication case relating to the 2002 Gujarat riots, to travel to Malayasia for a conference.

Setalvad has been directed to give a solvent surety of ₹10 lakh and an undertaking with details of her travel. She has further been ordered to return her passport after the conference ends.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Vishwanathan that conditions should be imposed to assure her return to India.

"We have serious apprehension. Zakir Naik stays there milord", SG further added.

Setalvad had rushed to the top court last year after the High Court rejected her plea for regular bail in the evidence fabrication case.

An FIR was lodged against Setalvad and former senior police officers R B Sreekumar and Sanjiv Bhatt on the basis of the Supreme Court's judgement in the case of 'Zakia Ahsan Zafri and others vs. State of Gujarat', passed on June 24, 2022.

The top court had on September 2, 2022 granted her interim bail stating that since she is a woman and has been in custody since June 26, 2022 and in light of the documents which were presented and those which are alleged against her in light of the FIR, pertain to year 2002 and going by assertions, at best, the concerned documents were sought to be presented till 2012.

Setalvad's bail plea was rejected by an Ahmedabad court on July 30. Teesta Setalvad, a co-petitioner in the plea before Supreme Court challenging “clean chit” given to then Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat riots case, was detained by Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad on June 25, 2022.

Case Title: Teesta Atul Setalvad vs. State of Gujarat