Tista Setalvad
The Supreme Court has given permission for human rights activist Teesta Setawad to travel to Amsterdam. She wanted to go there to participate in the International Documentary Film Festival. To this end, Teesta has filed a petition in the Supreme Court. The court granted him this permission subject to some conditions. The passport of Teesta, who is facing investigation in connection with a financial fraud case, has been confiscated on the orders of the investigating agency.
In court, his lawyer Kapil Sibal said he needed a 30-day travel permit to attend the World Premiere Festival in the Netherlands. He was invited to Amsterdam for the documentary Cycle Mahesh.
The case was heard by Judge B. R. The bench of Gavaj and KV Vishwanath did just that. The bench allowed Tista to travel to the Netherlands conditionally. She will have to submit an affidavit to the court stating that she will return within a stipulated time and will also have to post a security deposit of Rs 10 lakh, the court said.
In addition to this, they must submit their passport upon return. Previously, Teesta was allowed to attend a conference in Malaysia under the same conditions.
Why was his passport confiscated?
Teesta Setawad claimed to fight for the victims of the Gujarat riots. To raise funds for the victims, he founded an NGO, Citizens for Justice and Peace, which received foreign funding. Under the FCRA Act, receiving foreign donations requires permission from the central government, but Teesta does not have this permission.
Teesta and her husband were also accused of defrauding victims of the Gulmarg Society and misusing the funds collected in the name of helping these people. The CBI and Gujarat Police are investigating the allegation.
Teesta called the charges against her politically motivated and accused the government of retaliatory action against her.
Gujarat in limelight after riots
Teesta Setalvad came into limelight after the 2002 Gujarat riots. She blamed the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi for the riots in Gujarat. She also litigated cases for many victims of the Gujarat riots. The government claimed she was inspired by and worked for an ideology.
