Teesta spent NGO funds on liquor: Gujarat government in SC

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday witnessed heated exchange of words between activist Teesta Setalvad and the Gujarat government's counsel with the latter accusing her of misusing her NGO's money , meant for spreading secular education, for personal purposes including liquor consumption and the former saying the state was trying to paralyse her activities.

When a bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice A M Khanwilkar assembled to hear Teesta's plea for defreezing of her bank accounts along with accounts of her husband and her NGOs, additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta told the court that she had siphoned off the NGO's fund for personal purposes, including consumption of liquor.

Mehta, appearing for the Gujarat government, said expenses on liquor was maintained under the category of “secular education“ and told the court that her custodial interrogation was required.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal and lawyer Aparna Bhatt, appearing for Teesta and her husband Javed Anand, told the bench that the issue of liquor consumption was unnecessarily being highlighted to malign the image of the activist.

Sibal told the bench that all expenditure, including on liquor, was approved by Ford Foundation which donated the money and the government was targeting her for “known reasons“. He said only Rs 7,850 was spent on liquor during seven years and it was not a crime.

“How can it be a crime if there is no complaint by the Foundation. Whom I have cheated? Has the money been given by the government. No.It was given by the Foundation and it is not alleging that I misused the money . If we meet people in connection with our work and take food and drink together then it is not an offence,“ Sibal said.

Sibal said there was “malafide attempt“ on the part of state police to paralyse all activities carried out by her NGOs-Sabrang Trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace. “(The state government is) alleging that we siphoned off Rs 2.65 lakh out of Rs nine crore donation received by us,“ he said.

Countering Sibal, the ASG said complaint was filed against Teesta and her husband by a resident of Gulberg society and police must conduct probe and take action against them. The bench reserved its order and asked both parties to give their written submissions.