little over an hour after a special CBI court rejected their anticipatory bail plea in the alleged Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) case, the Bombay High Court on Friday granted an interim protection to social activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand from arrest till August 10.
Teesta and her Anand, booked by the CBI under Section 120-b (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and provisions of FCRA, 1976 and 2010 for allegedly accepting $2.9 lakh (`1.8 crore) from Ford Foundation without mandatory sanction from the Centre, heaved a sigh of relief, as the High Court granted them interim relief. The activist-couple had moved High Court after the special CBI court rejected their anticipatory bail application and also refused to extend the interim relief granted to them earlier on July 17.
While granting an interim relief to the activist-couple, Justice Mridula Bhatkar of the high court observed: “At this stage I do not want to go into merits. Is there any chance of the accused persons abscondingIJ If no, then interim protection can be granted for two weeks”..
Turning the CBI’s another request that the activist-couple be directed to appear before the CBI for questioning every day, Justice Bhatkar said: “They (Teesta and Javed) have been appearing before you (CBI) from July 17. You must have done some investigation. Everyday appearance is not required”.
The judge, however, directed Teesta and her husband Javed to husband to appear before the Economic Offences Wing of CBI on July 27 and 30 and on August 3 and 6 for recording their statement between12pm and 3pm.
The high court also rejected the argument put forward by Public Prosecutor Sandeep Shinde on behalf of the CBI that the offence allegedly committed by the activist-couple was of a serious nature and that the two were required by the apex investigating agency for custodial interrogation,
The Union Home Ministry had on June 26 ordered a CBI inquiry into the functioning of Messrs Sabrang Communications and seized one of its bank accounts. The allegation against the Teesta-run publication firm is that it had – in violation of FCRA -- accepted a donation of USD 2.9 lakh (Rs 1.8 crore) from Ford Foundation without getting clearance of the Home Ministry.
Subsequently on July 14, the CBI carried out searches on the premises of Teesta, her husband, office of their publication firm Sabrang Communications and other directors of the firm in connection with a case registered against her firm for allegedly accepting illegal foreign donations in violation of FCRA.