SC extends interim bail of Setalvad, husband

The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended the protection granted to activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband from arrest till April 29 in connection with two criminal cases.

A three-judge bench presided over by Justice Anil R Dave, however, refused a plea by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the couple, to make the bail order “till further orders”.

Teesta and her husband Javed Anand, have been accused of embezzlement of funds, meant for the 2002 Gujarat riots victims and violating the provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act  receiving money for their two NGOs.

The bench told Sibal that the court has already extended the bail by a period of more than a month and that the prayer for regular bail can be made before the bench which will take up the matter for a regular hearing. The bench has also sent the petitions to the Chief Justice of India for putting it up before a regular bench, saying it was difficult for the special bench to assemble to take up this matter. The Gujarat Police are investigating the embezzlement of funds for a museum to be built at Ahmedabad’s Gulbarg Society that was devastated in the 2002 riots.