The Bombay High Court today granted anticipatory bail to social activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand in an alleged case of money embezzlement. Dismissing CBI's appeal for custodial interrogation, Justice Mridula Bhatkar observed that prima facie the case is based on misuse of funds under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, for which the prosecution is free to proceed and frame charges. <br/><br/>The court strongly rejected CBI's claims that the couple posed any threat to national security or public interest if they remain free. Justice Bhatkar said that dissenting views cannot be said to be against the state's sovereignty, adding that there is no possibility of the couple fleeing from justice. Asking Teesta Setalvad and her husband to cooperate with the investigating agency. The court granted them anticipatory bail on a surety of Rs. 20,000. The court also asked the couple not to leave the country without court's permission.<br/><br/>Last month, the CBI had registered a case against Teesta and her husband Javed Anand alleging that her NGO Sabrang Communication and Publishing Private Limited – SCPPL had violated the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act by receiving around Rs 1.8 crore in foreign donations from US based Ford Foundation without the mandatory government permission.<br/>While opposing the anticipatory bail plea, the CBI today informed the court that the couple refused to provide the trust's account books and gave vague answers during the course of interrogation. However, the applicants' lawyer Aspi Chinoy argued that the CBI had already seized all original documents pertaining to the trust and its accounts during a raid last month.<br/><br/> The lawyer further argued that the money received from Ford Foundation was not in the form of a grant or donation but in lieu of the services provided by them and hence no prior approval was required.

The Bombay High Court has granted anticipatory bail to social activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand in an alleged case of money embezzlement. Dismissing CBI's appeal for custodial interrogation, Justice Mridula Bhatkar observed that prima facie the case is based on misappropriation of accounts and documents for which the prosecution is free to proceed and frame charges. <br/><br/>The court strongly rejected CBI's claims that the couple posed any threat to India's sovereignty. Justice Bhatkar said that dissenting views cannot be said to be against the state's sovereignty; adding that there is no possibility of the couple fleeing from justice. Asking Teesta Setalvad and her husband to cooperate with the investigating agency; the court granted them anticipatory bail on a bail bond of Rs. 20,000. The court also asked the couple not to leave the country without court's permission.<br/><br/>Last month, the CBI had registered a case against Teesta and her husband Javed Anand alleging that her NGO Sabrang Communication and Publishing Private Limited – SCPPL had violated the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act by receiving around Rs 1.8 crore in foreign donations from US based Ford Foundation without the mandatory government permission. The applicants' lawyer however argued that the money received from Ford Foundation was not in the form of a grant or donation but in lieu of the services provided by them and hence no prior approval was required.