Setalvad, along with R B Sreekumar, was arrested earlier in June in this case. Both have denied charges.
Activist Teesta Setalvad (File)
The Supreme Court Tuesday granted activist Teesta Setalvad the liberty to approach the appropriate authority for grant of protection in connection with a 2002 Gujarat riots case.
The plea was heard by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India U U Lalit. “Regarding protection application Ms Setalvad, she can move an appropriate application before concerned authority,” said the bench, reported law website Bar and Bench.
Setalvad and ex-DGP R B Sreekumar were arrested in June this year in this case. Both have denied charges.
On Monday, the Gujarat government told the Supreme Court that Setalvad, arrested for allegedly fabricating evidence to frame “innocent people” in the 2002 Gujarat riot cases, had “enacted” the conspiracy along with other accused at the behest of a senior political leader, reported news agency PTI.
Meanwhile, the CJI bench also disposed of a batch of 11 petitions seeking transfer of the Gujarat riots cases, which have been pending since 2002-03, to the Central Bureau of Investigation.