Mumbai activist Teesta Setalvad, behind bars at the Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad, on Monday moved a bail application before the Gujarat High Court. Her move comes two days after a sessions court rejected her bail plea while noting that relief to her will "encourage wrongdoers."
Setalvad was arrested in connection with an FIR for allegedly fabricating evidence and tutoring witnesses to seek conviction in 2002 post-Godhra riot cases. Former IPS officers R B Sreekumar and Sanjiv Bhatt are also co-accused in the case.
She moved the bail petition in the high court through advocate Somnath Vatsa. The hearing is likely to take place later this week. Sreekumar, whose bail plea was also rejected by the sessions court, is yet to approach the high court.
Rejecting their pleas on July 30, additional principal judge D D Thakkar had stated that the granting of bail despite "such type of accusations against the then CM and others" was likely to encourage wrongdoers.
"In case on hand, the applicants-accused have in conspiracy with others with a view to defame the then CM (Narendra Modi, now the prime minister) and others made accusations against Government that post Godhra riots were sponsored by the Government and thereby defamed the State not only in country but in world also and with ulterior motive thereby obtained personal goal and monetary benefit from one political faction as well as other countries and this case has been registered pursuant to the final decision of the complaint given by Zakia Jafri of dated 08/06/2006 and Zakia Jafri was guided by both these applicants-accused and other," the order had stated.