SC allows Teesta Setalvad to travel to Malaysia for anti-racism conference

The Supreme Court today permitted activist Teesta Setalvad to travel to Malaysia for anti-racism conference on the solvent security of ₹10 lakh, according to reports. Setalvad will be travelling from Aug 31 to Sept 10 to Selangor, Malaysia.

In January this year, Gujarat High Court conveyed a preliminary disinclination to quash the FIR filed against Setalvad.

This FIR, originating from the Mahisagar district in 2006, pertained to the controversial Pandarwada mass grave digging incident.

Setalvad is accused of exhuming bodies of 2002 Gujarat riot victims, allegedly to create a media sensation.

The charges against Setalvad in the 2006 FIR include fabricating false evidence, causing the disappearance of evidence, criminal conspiracy, and committing deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings.

During the proceedings in January , Justice Sandeep Bhatt while addressing Setalvad’s counsel questioned the need to revisit cases which he metaphorically referred to as “dead horses”.

Setalvad was arrested in June 2022 by Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorism Squad following the Supreme Court’s dismissal of a plea by Zakia Jafri concerning the 2002 riots.