AHMEDABAD: Gujarat High Court on Friday directed social activist Teesta Setalwad , her husband Javed Anand and Zakia Jafri’s son Tanvir along with two other former residents of Gulbarg Society to appear before the investigating officer (IO) every fortnight in an alleged funds embezzlement case.

Justice Ashish Desai ordered Setalvad and others to remain present before the IO in 15-day intervals till further orders on their anticipatory bail pleas. While Setalvad’s lawyer submitted that the cops intend to arrest them, special prosecutor for crime branch Mahesh Jethmalani maintained that the accused do not co-operate in investigation. The court said that the accused should be given fair opportunity to present their side by appearing before the investigators.

In January, the city crime branch registered an FIR against Setalvad and others for allegedly usurping Rs 1.51 crore collected by them as donations for turning the colony in Chamanpura into a riots museum. Former residents of the society alleged that Setalvad and her NGOs restrained them from disposing of their properties after the riots by promising them that the NGOs would purchase them and turn them into a riot memorial.

However, the properties were never purchased on the grounds of insufficient funds. Later, the NGOs and the office bearers of the society told them that they could sell their houses. They have alleged that Setalvad and her NGOs collected money from across the world by depicting their condition and promising upliftment.

On February 28, 2002, following the Godhra carnage, 69 people including former MP Ehsan Jafri were killed by an unruly mob at Gulbarg Society.

