In a yet another blow to the social activist Teesta Setalvad, the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday rejected her plea to lift the freeze on the bank accounts of her two non-government organisations (NGOs) Citizen for Justice & Peace (CJP) and Sabrang Trust.
Both the bank accounts —CJP and Sabrang Trust — are being managed by Teesta and her husband Javed Anand. These accounts were frozen by Ahmedabad Crime Branch as part of investigation. The Crime Branch officials who are investigation Gulberg Society fund embezzlement case alleged that the funds collected as donation for providing relief to the riot victims were credited in these accounts but the couple (Teesta & Javed) siphoned the funds.
Arguing before the court Teesta’s counsel Mihir Desai said that the probe agency had not issued a notice to the account holders before freezing the accounts and hence the bank should allow her and her NGOs to operate the accounts after signing an appropriate bond. The hearing was conducted in the court of Justice GR Udhavani. However, while dismissing the plea, Justice Udhavani said that accepting the plea would interfere in the ongoing investigation.
According to the Crime Branch, Teesta and her husband Javed are facing charges of fund embezzlement. “They had collected funds for providing relief to the riot victims and for the development of museum at the riot hit Gulberg Society. Though, they could collect the fund in tune with Rs1.50 crore through their two NGOs, but the money was spent for different purposes,” said an official who is closely connected with the investigation.
The Ahmedabad Police had registered an FIR in 2014, after a complaint filed by former residents of Gulberg Society year-and-a-half ago in 2013. The residents apparently claimed that money collected in their name had not reached them.