Following the Gujarat High Court’s direction, Teesta Setalvad appeared before the Ahmedabad Crime Branch (ACB) officials in Gulbarg society fund embezzlement case on Monday. Setalvad was grilled for more than four hours by the ACB officials.
Setalvad came to the ACB office along with her two advocates and former Gujarat top cop RV Srikumar. Sources in the police department said that she wanted her advocate and Srikumar to remain present during interrogation, but the ACB officials denied and eventually, Teesta alone came inside the office. As per the court order, her husband Javed Anand will have to appear before the court on Tuesday in the same case.
The Gujarat High Court had directed Teesta, her husband Javed and two others — slain Congress MP Ehsan Jafri's son Tanvir and a former Gulbarg society resident Firoz Gulzar — to appear before the ACB officials and co-operate them in interrogation of Gulbarg society embezzlement case every fortnight. On December 5th, the High Court had directed them during the hearing of anticipatory bail application of Teesta and other three.
Senior Counsel Mahesh Jethamalani appeared on behalf of Ahmedabad Crime Branch and argued the matter. On last hearing, Senior Counsel Mihir Thakore, appeared for Setalvad and her husband and sought time from the court on which Jethamalani objected and presented that accused are not co-operating with the investigation and requested the Court to direct all the accused in the Gulbarg society embezzlement case to appear before the Investigation Officer for interrogation, which the Court agreed.
According to the Crime Branch, two NGOs of Teesta Setalvad — Sabrang Trust and Citizen for Justice & Peace (CJP), during 2008 to 2012, have collected `9.50 crore from various donors towards construction of museum in Gulbarga Society, which was set on fire during the 2002 riots in Gujarat. Another motto of collecting the fund was to help riot victims.
Despite the fact, Teesta and Javed, who are trustees in the said NGOs had allegedly transferred 45 per cent fund to their personal accounts as well as their privately owned company Sabrang Communication Pvt ltd. They had withdrawn `1.09 crore from the accounts of CJP and Sabrang.
According to the sources, the Crime Branch has directed Teesta and her husband Javed to bring various documents which they have not shared with the police despite several reminders.