The Supreme Court has extended the protection from arrest for social activist Teesta Setalvad until July 19th. This decision comes after the rejection of her bail plea by the Gujarat high court in a case related to the alleged forging of documents and influencing the system to defame Gujarat. The case dates back to the 2002 communal riots in the state.
A bench comprising of Justices B R Gavai, A S Bopanna, and Dipankar Datta issued a formal notice to the Gujarat government and requested a convenient date for final arguments from both parties. Setalvad’s counsel Kapil Sibal proposed the second week of August for the final hearing, but Justice Gavai mentioned his involvement in a Constitution bench during that time. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta and additional solicitor general S V Raju suggested the second week of July, and the bench ultimately scheduled the matter for July 19th.
The Supreme Court’s decision to grant Setalvad interim protection on Saturday was met with drama. Setalvad moved the court after the Gujarat high court rejected her bail plea and ordered her immediate surrender. The Supreme Court had previously granted her interim bail until the high court reached a decision on the plea.
Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, along with other Supreme Court judges, constituted a two-judge bench consisting of Justices A S Oka and P K Mishra to reach a verdict on granting interim relief to Setalvad. The bench returned a split verdict in favor of interim relief at 7 pm.
It is important to present a balanced view of the topic, including different perspectives and opinions where relevant.
