Teesta's article appeared distasteful for CJI

Teesta Setalvad faces the wrath of Chief Justice of India who described an article written by the human right activist as shameful.

It is reported that the Supreme Court of India took notice of her article published in a news paper some week ago which accused the Apex Court for unnecessary delay in hearing the bail petitions of those accused in the Godhra train burning case which prompted the riots in Gujarat.

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She has questioned the holdup in the bail plea since last four years.

Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan complaining about the article said, “There are some articles in the newspaper which are educative, and there are some which we ignore. But, what is this article indicating that the matters are not getting posted and that the court is being unfair. This article is not in good taste.”

The court proceedings began with the Bench including CJI and Justice R V Raveendran and Dalveer Bhandari showing their discontentment with the article. The bench asked the lawyers if they have any contact with Teesta, if so then the bench won’t hear the case.

Since 2004 the trial of the case had been stayed and the case is being reviewed on the validity by central POTA review committee recommendation for dropping anti-terrorism law charges against the accused.

The bench got agitated over the allegations that hearing on post-Godhra cases were fixed in such a way that it gets postponed.

On allegation CJI said, “There are around 60000 cases here. It is the Computer, which is posting cases not us.”

The reluctant Bench resumed hearing the bail petitions after lawyers Harish Salve and Colin Gonsalves seeking bail for the accused said that the court should treat the article with contempt and ignore it.

It is reported that 89 people have been charged under the anti-terror act and are in prison since 2003 after the Apex Court halted their trial in 2003.