A sessions court on Friday granted anticipatory bail to social activist Teesta Setalvad in connection with a case pertaining to filing false affidavits in the name of post-Godhra riot victims.
Additional Sessions Judge S.B. Gajre, while granting bail, ordered Ms. Setalvad to deposit her passport with the court within three days and also asked her to produce a personal bond of Rs 25,000.
The court also asked her to remain present before the investigation officer of the case whenever asked to Ms. Setalvad had sought anticipatory bail following the allegations of filing false affidavits on behalf of the victims of the Naroda Gam riot case of 2002.
The allegations were made by her former aide Rais Khan.
Eleven persons of a minority community were killed by a mob following the Godhra train carnage on February 28, 2002 at Naroda Gam area here.
The court, while providing relief to Ms. Setalvad, observed that being a human rights activist of international repute, she is unlikely to runaway from the probe.
It further observed that the evidence in the case was the affidavits which were already on record of the court and hence cannot be tampered as contended by the Gujarat government while opposing Ms. Setalvad’s bail.
Considering the assurance given by Ms. Setalvad for cooperating with the probe agency, the court granted her anticipatory bail, her lawyer S.M. Vora said.
Ms. Setalvad’s former aide Rais Khan has maintained that false affidavits in the name of 2002 riot victims against the accused of the Naroda Gam case, had been filed in a sessions court at the behest of the activist.
Khan had further alleged that he used to get the false affidavits signed by the victims who were witnesses for Ms. Setalvad, who headed NGO Center for Justice and Peace.
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