Supreme Court grants regular bail to Teesta Setalvad

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court on July 19 granted regular bail to social activist Teesta Setalvad in a case pertaining to alleged fabrication of evidence to falsely implicate innocent individuals in the post-Godhra riots cases of 2002.

The court observed that the Gujarat High Court judgment, which denied bail to Setalvad 'makes for an interesting read' and noted that no person can be granted a pre-trial bail going by the reasoning of the judgment. The court further observed that certain observations made in the judgment were 'perverse.' The three-judge bench held that since most of the evidences were documentary in nature, custodial interrogation of Setalvad may not be required.

Setalvad has also been directed not to influence any witnesses in the case and held that her passport will continue to remain in custody.

On July 1, the court had granted her interim protection, the same has now been made good.  Gujarat High Court had on July 1  rejected Setalvad's regular bail plea. Justice Nirzar Desai directed her to surrender immediately, as she had been out of jail on interim bail granted by the apex court in September of the previous year.