Teesta Setalvad To Pay Rs 10 Lakh Surety To Visit Abroad: Supreme Court
SG Tushar Mehta expressed apprehensions over the "real purpose" of her visit and said that terror accused, fugitive Zakir Naik also stays there.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed activist Teesta Setalvad to travel abroad to attend an anti-racism conference on a surety of Rs 10 lakh. Teesta Setalvad is currently out on bail in connection with a criminal case involving allegations of a conspiracy to malign the State of Gujarat and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was then the Gujarat CM, for their handling of the 2002 Gujarat riots.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan heard her petition today where the activist was seeking a relaxation of this bail condition to travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from August 31 to September 10 to attend an anti-racism conference.
The top court also directed her to furnish a detailed undertaking about her travel plans and also ordered that she should return her passport when she comes back to India post attending the conference.
In July 2023, the apex court had granted bail to Setalvad, after she challenged the Gujarat High Court verdict denying her bail. While granting bail to Setalvad, the Supreme Court directed her to surrender her passport as a condition for bail.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for Setalvad told the top court that she is seeking relaxation of the bail condition.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta however told the court that if she is being allowed to travel abroad, conditions should be imposed so that her return to India is also assured. He further urged the court to put a larger amount of surety, when the court asked her to Pay Rs 25,000 as surety.
SG Mehta further expressed apprehensions over the "real purpose" of her visit and said that terror accused, fugitive Zakir Naik also stays there.
"We have serious apprehension. Zakir Naik stays there milord," SG Mehta said.
The top court then allowed Setalvad's plea after asking her to furnish a solvent surety of Rs 10 lakh and to return her passport after the conference ends.
It may be recalled that Setalvad was arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad from Mumbai and taken to Gujarat in 2022. She was accused of allegedly fabricating documents and tutoring witnesses to implicate Gujarat government officials.
The Supreme Court had in June 2022, remarked that Setalvad along with Director General of Police, Sreekumar were trying to create a sensation. She was arrested the very next day.
Later in September 2022, she secured an interim bail from the Supreme Court. However, her regular bail was later rejected Gujarat High Court.
In 2023, the Gujarat High Court not only rejected her bail plea but also ordered her immediate arrest. However, the top court had stayed stayed the arrest on the same day.
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