Gulbarg fund case: High Court stays Teesta Setalvad's arrest till April 23

AHMEDABAD: In a relief to social activist Teesta Setalwad, her husband Javed Anand and slain Congress MP Ehsan Jafri's son Tanvir, the Gujarat High Court today stayed their arrest till April 23 in connection with the Gulbarg fund embezzlement case.

The High Court extended the stay after the state government sought further time to file a reply and assured that it will not arrest Teesta and others till further hearing.

Following the state government's representation, Justice Anant S Dave granted the stay till April 23 and posted the hearing on the same day.

The High Court, while acting upon the anticipatory bail plea of Setalwad, Anand, Jafri, Gulbarg Society's secretary Feroz Gulzar and chairman Salim Sandhi, had earlier granted the stay till today.

The five sought bail from the High Court as the sessions court here had rejected their bail plea on March 25.

The sessions court judge had observed that there was prima facie documentary evidence against the accused, which needed a thorough probe.

The city crime branch had registered an FIR against Setalvad and others for allegedly usurping Rs 1.51 crore, collected by them in form of donations them for turning Gulbarg Society into a mausoleum.

Twelve residents of Gulbarg society had demanded Rs 1.51 crore from Setalvad last year alleging that the money collected in their name was never distributed.

Setalvad and Anand had also petitioned before the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of an FIR registered against them for alleged misappropriation of funds and de-freezing of their bank accounts, which the court rejected today.

On February 28, 2002, following the Godhra train carnage, 68 people including former MP Ehsan Zafri were killed by a mob at Gulbarg Society here during the riots.