MUMBAI: Social activist Teesta Setalvad on Thursday got a temporary relief from arrest in a case of alleged misappropriation of funds filed by the Gujarat police.
She is expected to appear before police in Ahmedabad on Friday in connection with the case.
In the criminal case lodged by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand are charged with ‘fraudulently’ securing central government funds to the tune of Rs 1.4 crore through their NGO Sabrang Trust between 2008 and 2013. The case was lodged on basis of a complaint that the funds were secured to provide education to poor children in Gujarat and Maharashtra and to help victims of the 2002 post-Godhra riots in Gujarat, but were misappropriated or used for other purposes.
The case is registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code that deal with dishonest misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust, criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent etc. and Setalvad had approached the Bombay High Court with an anticipatory bail application.
Adv Mihir Desai, representing Setalvad and Anand, told the high court that both of them were willing to appear before the investigating agency tomorrow to record their statements and also demanded a ‘transit anticipatory bail’ so that they can travel to Gujarat and seek a regular pre-arrest bail from the appropriate court.
Justice Revati Mohite Dere then granted Setalvad and Anand an interim protection from arrest. However, she referred the application from transit anticipatory bail to a larger bench.
The interim protection from arrest till May 2, 2018 is extendable if a larger bench is not constituted till then, the court said.