Gujarat HC judge recuses from hearing activist Teesta Setalvad’s petition

Following the FIR, Setalvad moved the high court seeking quashing of the same. Justice Pardiwala had presided over the hearing back in 2015 and had ordered the investigating officer to remain present. The case was assigned to another bench following change in the judge’s sittings.

Recently, after the sittings were changed, the case came back to Justice Pardiwala. On Thursday, when the matter came up for hearing before the bench, justice Pardiwala recused himself saying, “not before me.”

In 2015, justice Pardiwala had denied anticipatory bail to Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand in connection with a separate FIR lodged by Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch for allegedly embezzling more than Rs 1.51 crore funds received by their NGOs-Citizen for Justice and Peace and Sabrang Trust- for converting 2002 riots affected Gulberg Society case into a museum. He had termed the facts of this case as “shocking and disturbing” and stated, “the fact of the case reflects the sorry state of NGOs.”

Following this judgment Setalvad had moved to the Supreme Court where the matter is still pending.