A local court concluded hearing on four applications filed by social activist Teesta Setalwad, her husband Javed Anand and their two NGOs to de-freeze their bank accounts which were frozen by city police in connection with an alleged fund embezzlement case.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate M H Patel concluded hearing their pleas on Wednesday after all the parties submitted their arguments in the case. After hearing both the submissions, the court reserved its order in the case. The court is likely to deliver its verdict on November 28. The three bank accounts in Union of Bank of India and IDBI Bank were frozen by the city crime branch after it began investigating the Gulbarg Society funds embezzlement case, which is alleged to have been to the tune of Rs 1.51 crore.
Teesta Setalwad had submitted that Gujarat police's action is vindictive and it was taken at the behest of the state government. The bank accounts were audited at regular intervals as prescribed under legal provisions and therefore no offence under Sections 420 or Section 406 of Indian Penal Code could be made out, Advocate Mihir Desai for Setalwad argued before the court. Arguing on behalf of Gujarat government, Special Public Prosecutor Ajay Choksi said those accused in the case had transferred Rs 36 lakh to another bank account even after these accounts were frozen by the police.
Opposing the plea, Choksi said some bank accounts were not audited for more than five years, alleging some of the money was used for "personal spending". Bank accounts of Setalwad's NGOs, namely Sabrang and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), were also frozen by the city crime branch.
On January 5, an FIR was lodged under Section 120 (B) for criminal conspiracy, Section 406 (fraud) and Section 420 (cheating) of Indian Penal Code against Teesta Setalwad and Javed Anand for allegedly usurping Rs 1.51 crore. One of the residents of Gulbarg Society, Firoz Khan Pathan had filed a complaint against Setalwad and others alleging money was raised to make a museum at Gulbarg Society in memory of those who were killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots but it had not been utilised for the purpose. On 28 February, 2002, after the Godhra train carnage, 68 people including former MP Ehsan Zafri, were killed by a mob at Gulbarg Society here during the riots.
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