The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted regular bail to activist Teesta Setalvad in a case of alleged fabrication of evidence to frame innocent people in the 2002 post-Godhra riots cases.A three-judge bench of Justices B R Gavai, A S Bopanna, and Dipankar Datta set aside the order of the Gujarat High Court rejecting her plea for regular bail.Supreme Court grants regular bail to Teesta Setalvad in post-Godhra riots case, sets aside Gujarat HC orderhttps://t.co/NBa3T1jQi8(FILE PHOTO) pic.twitter.com/sUYaTfLjEF— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 19, 2023Countering the bail plea, the Supreme Court said that Setalvads custodial interrogation is not necessary as a charge sheet has been filed in the case against her. However, the top court has directed Setalvad not to influence the witnesses in the ongoing case.The court noted that the High Court had dismissed Setalvads request for bail on the grounds that she had not raised any objections to the FIR and chargesheet in accordance with articles 226 and 32 of the Indian Constitution or Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).According to the High Court, she could not argue that a prima facie case was not made out because she did not contest the same. However, the Supreme Court criticised the High Courts decision, calling it “perverse to say the least.”It is to be noted here that on July 1, the Supreme Court granted interim protection to Teesta Setalvad in the case.Why Teesta Setalvad was in the dockThe activist is charged with forging documents and tutoring witnesses to implicate higher administrations of the Gujarat government led by then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.Setalvad got arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terror Squad a day after the Supreme Court ruled that Setalvad is guilty of maligning the State following the Gujarat riots in 2002 and should be put in the dock.
