Supreme Court Allows Teesta Setalvad to Travel to Malaysia for Conference
The Supreme Court of India has granted permission to human rights activist Teesta Setalvad to travel abroad to attend a conference. A bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan allowed Setalvad to travel to Malaysia from August 31 to September 10, subject to furnishing a solvent surety of Rs 10 lakh.
The court also directed her to provide an undertaking with details of her travel and to return her passport after the conference ends. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Setalvad, informed the court that she was seeking a relaxation of her bail condition to attend an anti-racism conference.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta emphasized that conditions should be imposed to ensure her return to India. Setalvad is currently on bail in connection with a criminal case involving allegations of a conspiracy to malign the State of Gujarat and then Chief Minister Narendra Modi for their handling of the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Last year, the Supreme Court granted regular bail to Setalvad after she approached the apex court against a Gujarat High Court order rejecting her bail and asking her to surrender. She was arrested by the Gujarat Police on June 25, 2022, based on an FIR by the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) on alleged charges of conspiring to falsely implicate innocent people in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Doubts Revealed
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes important decisions about laws and justice.
Teesta Setalvad -: Teesta Setalvad is a human rights activist in India. She works to protect people’s rights and make sure everyone is treated fairly.
Malaysia -: Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. It is known for its beautiful beaches, rainforests, and mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European cultural influences.
Anti-racism conference -: An anti-racism conference is a meeting where people discuss ways to stop racism. Racism is when people are treated unfairly because of their skin color or where they come from.
Solvent surety -: A solvent surety is a guarantee that someone can pay a certain amount of money if needed. In this case, Teesta Setalvad had to promise she could pay Rs 10 lakh.
Rs 10 lakh -: Rs 10 lakh is a way to say 1,000,000 rupees in India. It’s a large amount of money.
2002 Gujarat riots -: The 2002 Gujarat riots were violent events in the Indian state of Gujarat. Many people were hurt and killed, and it was a very sad time.
Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan -: Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan are judges in the Supreme Court of India. They help make important legal decisions.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal -: Kapil Sibal is a very experienced lawyer in India. He helps people with their legal cases in court.