Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Sept 2: The Supreme Court on Friday granted activist Teesta Setalvad interim bail following her arrest by the Gujarat Police on suspicion of forging papers to implicate prominent figures, including the then-Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in the 2002 Godhra riots cases.
The Gujarat High Court judgement that had handed Setalvad’s bail appeal a lengthy adjournment without giving any order of interim bail was challenged by Setalvad before the Supreme Court of India, which then issued the order on its own motion.
“It must be said that matter is still pending before High Court. We are, therefore, not considering whether Setalvad is released on bail or not and High Court shall decide the same. We are only on during pendency of such application, should the custody of appellant be insisted upon or be granted interim bail. Thus we grant Teesta Setalvad interim bail,” the Court ordered.
The Gujarat High Court was ordered by the Supreme Court to take the appeal for temporary release from custody into consideration while the case was still pending.
The Court noted that Setalvad had been in police custody for 7 days before being placed in judicial custody when it granted temporary bail.
“Following aspects have emerged. Appellant a lady has been in custody since June 25. Offences alleged pertain to the period from 2002-2012. This is going by assertions, at best the concerned documents date to 2012. Investigating machinery had the advantage of custodial interrogation for 7 days followed by judicial custody,” the Court observed.
So it went ahead and granted interim status to Setalvad.
