Gulbarg fund case: High Court stays social activist Teesta Setalvad's arrest till August 26

The Gujarat High Court today extended till August 26 the stay on arrest of social activist Teesta Setalvad in connection with the alleged Gulbarg society fund embezzlement case involving Rs 1.51 crore.

Justice A J Desai adjourned the hearing on the alleged fund embezzlement case and extended the stay on arrest of Setalvad, her husband Javed Anand, slain Congress MP Ehsan Jafri's son Tanvir, Gulbarg society's secretary Feroz Gulzar and chairman Salim Sandhi till August 26, when the next hearing is scheduled.

The hearing was adjourned as the counsel representing Setalvad and others were not present before the court.

The five persons had sought anticipatory bail from the HC as a sessions court here had rejected their pre-arrest bail plea on March 25.

The sessions judge had observed that there is prima facie documentary evidence against the accused, which needs a thorough probe.

The city crime branch had in January registered an FIR against Setalvad and others for allegedly usurping Rs 1.51 crore collected by them in the form of donations for turning Gulbarg society into a museum.

The issue had surfaced when 12 residents of Gulbarg society demanded Rs 1.51 crore from Setalvad last year, alleging that the money collected in their names for making museum at the society was never distributed.

On February 28, 2002, following the Godhra Sabarmati train carnage, 68 people, including former MP Ehsan Zafri, were killed by a mob at Gulbarg Society here during the riots.