Supreme Court Protects Teesta Setalvad from Arrest, Detains Gujarat High Court Order for a Week

At a late night special hearing, a bench of judges BR Gavai, AS Bopanna and Dipankar Datta questioned Setalvad’s refusal to appeal the HC order, saying that even an ordinary criminal is entitled to one or other form of provisional measures.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on late Saturday night shielded social activist Teesta Setalvad from arrest and suspended the order of the Gujarat High Court for a week, rejecting her plea for regular bail and asking her to surrender immediately in a case of alleged falsification of evidence to trap innocent people in 2002. – Godhra riot cases.

At a late night special hearing, a bench of judges BR Gavai, AS Bopanna and Dipankar Datta questioned Setalvad’s refusal to appeal the HC order, saying that even an ordinary criminal is entitled to one or other form of provisional measures.

The three-judge bench heard the case in a special session after a two-judge holiday bench disagreed on granting Setalvad provisional protection from arrest.

“After hearing this petition for special leave for a while, we can’t agree on prayer for temporary relief. Therefore, it will be proper if, by order of the Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India, this petition be presented to the proper greater court.

“The Registrar (judiciary) is directed to immediately place this order before the Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India,” the two-tribunal of Justices Abhay S Oka and Prashant Kumar Mishra said earlier in the evening.

Setalvad approached the apex court for relief shortly after the Gujarat High Court rejected her regular bail application.

Justice Nirzar Desai ordered her to surrender immediately as she is out of jail after obtaining provisional bail from apex court last September.

The Supreme Court is closed for the summer holidays and will reopen on Monday.