Supreme Court Declines to Release Teesta Setalvad’s Passport Without Travel Details

April 29, 2026 : The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday disposed of activist Teesta Setalvad’s application seeking the release of her passport, observing that she may file a fresh plea once she finalises her travel plans.

A Bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta, Satish Chandra Sharma and Alok Aradhe made it clear that the Court would not return the passport in the absence of a specific itinerary. Addressing Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for Setalvad, the Bench asked whether she had any immediate plans to travel abroad and emphasised that a concrete case must be made out for such permission.

The Court stated that if Setalvad intends to travel, she must specify the destination and purpose, following which the request can be considered. Disposing of the application, the Bench granted liberty to file a fresh plea at the appropriate time.

The matter stems from bail conditions imposed on Setalvad in a case alleging fabrication of evidence to implicate innocent persons in connection with the 2002 post-Godhra riots. One of the conditions required her passport to remain deposited with the trial court.

Earlier, on July 19, 2023, the Supreme Court had granted her regular bail, setting aside a Gujarat High Court order that had denied relief, terming it “perverse” and “contradictory.” The Court had noted that custodial interrogation was unnecessary as the chargesheet had already been filed and much of the evidence was documentary in nature. It also directed that Setalvad must not influence witnesses and must stay away from them.

The FIR against Setalvad was registered following the Supreme Court’s June 24, 2022 judgment in the case filed by Zakia Jafri, who alleged a larger conspiracy behind the 2002 Gujarat riots. Jafri, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, had challenged the findings of the Special Investigation Team.

Setalvad was arrested a day after that verdict, along with former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt and former Gujarat DGP R B Sreekumar, following the Court’s observations about alleged misuse of the legal process in the matter. (PTI)