SC allows Gujarat govt time to reply on bail plea by Teesta Setalvad

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Gujarat government further time to file a reply to a bail plea by activist Teesta Setalvad, arrested for forgery and criminal conspiracy, following the apex court's judgement approving clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots.

A bench presided over by Justice U U Lalit, posted the matter for consideration on Tuesday as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, submitted that the reply is ready but required some modifications.

The bench said that the issue is someone behind the bars and the court would consider if incarceration is required in the case.

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Mehta said the legal remedies in the case have not been examined, while Sibal contended any extra day's incarceration is wrong.

In her plea, Setalvad questioned the High Court's order which fixed her plea for release for consideration to September 19.

On August 22, the court issued a notice to the state government and fixed the matter for hearing just two days after on Thursday, August 25.

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Setalvad, along with former senior police officers R B Sreekumar and Sanjiv Bhat, were arrested on June 25 after the lodging of the criminal case by the Gujarat ATS at Ahmedabad.

In her plea, Setalvad contended that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report has not termed her as an accused in the case, nor any evidence of tampering with the statements of witnesses against her was found. She also alleged that she was being targeted by the state government for supporting riot victims.

On June 24, the Supreme Court upheld the clean chit given to Modi and others in the 2002 Gujarat riots, terming a plea filed by Zakia Jafri, whose husband Congress MP Ahsan Jafri was killed in the violence, as abuse of the process.

In a strongly worded order, the court had said there is a need to put those looking "to keep the pot boiling" with an "ulterior motive" in the dock.