Keywords: Interim bail, Conspiracy case, Supreme Court stay
In a significant development, the Supreme Court granted activist Teesta Setalvad interim bail for a period of seven days in the conspiracy case related to the 2002 Gujarat riots. The decision came after a special hearing held on Saturday. A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai, AS Bopanna, and Dipankar Datta stayed the Gujarat High Court’s order denying bail to Setalvad.
Teesta Setalvad had moved the Supreme Court for interim bail after the High Court directed her to surrender to the authorities immediately. She is accused of fabricating documents to implicate high-ranking officials of the then Gujarat government, led by former Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
The Supreme Court, in its order, stated that the High Court judge should have granted some protection to Setalvad, allowing sufficient time to challenge the order before the apex court. Consequently, the court granted a one-week stay and instructed the registry to seek orders from the Chief Justice of India (CJI) for listing the appeal before the appropriate bench.
The Gujarat High Court, in its ruling, expressed concerns that releasing Setalvad on bail could deepen communal polarization in the country. It observed that Setalvad had used victims of the Godhra riots to gain recognition and tarnish the image of then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, aiming to destabilize his government.
The plea was initially listed before a bench of Justices AS Oka and Prashant Kumar Mishra. However, as the judges were unable to concur on granting interim relief, they referred the matter to the CJI for the formation of a larger bench. Subsequently, a three-judge bench was constituted to hear the case.[1]
The Supreme Court’s decision to grant interim bail to Teesta Setalvad holds significant implications for the ongoing legal proceedings and has sparked discussions on issues such as personal liberty and communal dynamics in the country.
Written by- Jaydeep Ramani, College name – Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Semester- 7 an intern under Legal Vidhiya
[1] https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/supreme-court-stays-gujarat-hc-order-which-denied-bail-to-teesta-setalvad-231659
0 Comments