Team News Riveting
New Delhi, July 1
The Supreme Court on Saturday stayed the Gujarat High Court order denying regular bail to activist Teesta Setalvad for seven days.
In the second special hearing held Saturday night, a top court Bench of Justices B R Gavai, A S Bopanna and Dipankar Datta directed that Setalvad be granted interim bail for seven days.
Setalvad’s appeal against the High Court order was directed to be placed before the Chief Justice of India for listing.
“We find that taking into consideration this fact, the learned single judge (of High Court) ought to have granted some time to the petitioner to challenge the order. In that view, we grant stay for one week. Registry to obtain orders from CJI for listing before appropriate bench,” the Court ordered.
Earlier today, Setalvad had moved the Supreme Court with an application for interim bail after the High Court directed her to surrender to the authorities immediately. A Bench of Justices A S Oka and Prashant Kumar Mishra was unable to agree on the grant of interim relief to Setalvad. They referred the matter to the Chief Justice of India for constitution of a larger bench to decide on the issue.
Hours later, a three-judge Bench was constituted to hear the case. The bench started the hearing late on Saturday night on the plea by social activist Teesta Setalvad seeking interim protection from arrest in a case of alleged fabrication of evidence to frame innocent people in 2002 post-Godhra riots cases.
