SC stays for a week HC order asking Teesta Setalvad to surrender

Social activist Teesta Setalvad, who was denied regular bail by the Gujarat High Court today in a case involving the alleged creation of false evidence during the 2002 Gujarat riots, has been granted interim protection by the Supreme Court. The High Court had ordered her to surrender without delay.

During a special session, a panel of three judges comprising Justices BR Gavai, AS Bopanna, and Dipankar Datta issued a seven-day stay on the Gujarat High Court's decision, which had rejected social activist Teesta Setalvad's regular bail plea and ordered her immediate surrender.

While giving the judgement Supreme Court observed that "we are sorry to say the single judge was totally wrong in not granting interim protection even for one week."

When this court has granted interim bail, extending it by a week would have been ideal, observed Supreme Court.

Solicitor General said that it's not an ordinary case; somebody takes institutions for a joy ride. The country and state were maligned for decades. She wrote to Geneva, the SG said.

Supreme Court asked Solicitor General, "Her conduct may be reprehensible, but today we are considering whether a person should be stripped of liberty even for a day?"

Supreme Court further observed that she was on bail for 10 months and asked about the urgency in taking her into custody?

"Will the skies fall if interim protection granted... We are taken by surprise by what the High Court has done. What is the alarming urgency?" asked Supreme Court.

In the evening Supreme Court's two-judge bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Prashant Kumar Mishra differed on granting interim protection to her and referred the matter to Chief Justice of India to constitute a larger bench.

Inputs from ANI