The journalist, activist and educationist is also the secretary of Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP). As a journalist Setalvad has written for multiple publications since 1983. Her coverage of the communal violence in Mumbai in 1992-93 set the tone for much of her work as an activist. In 1993, she co-founded the magazine Communalism Combat with her husband and fellow human rights defender Javed Anand. CJP was founded in 2002 in wake of the communal violence that broke out in Gujarat. CJP, through Teesta Setalvad was the second petitioner in the Zakia Jafri case that sought to pin accountability for failure to control the violence on authorities in the state at the time. Setalvad was detained from her Mumbai home by a unit of the Gujarat ATS on June 25, just a day after the Supreme Court dismissed the petition in the Zakia Jafri case. She was taken to Ahmedabad where she was remanded to police custody by a magistrate. After a long legal battle, Setalvad was finally granted interim bail by the Supreme Court, and released from Ahmedabad's Sabarmati Jail.
194 (Giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of capital offence), 211 (False charge of offence made with intent to injure), 218 (Public servant framing incorrect record or writing with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) read with 120 B (Criminal Conspiracy)