An Indian court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to social activist Teesta Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand, who were accused of collecting foreign funds in violations of laws.
The Bombay High Court rejected the request of the Indian premier investigation agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, for custodial interrogation, according to Times of India. The court also did not agree with the CBI's argument that the couple posed a threat to national security.
"Dissenting views cannot be said to be against the state's sovereignty. The couple are Indian citizens and there is no possibility of them fleeing from justice," the court said, according to India Today. "The payment of money by the Ford Foundation is undisputed."
Setalvad, a human rights activist known for her criticism of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and her husband Anand are accused of collecting foreign funds from the U.S.-based Ford Foundation.
"We have recorded our statement on three consecutive days as per the directions of the court. Beyond this I can't share anything as per the orders of my lawyers," Setalvad told reporters after the court order, according to Press Trust of India.
Public prosecutors argued that Teesta's organisations - Sabrang Trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace - acted like an agent in India for the Ford Foundation, according to the Indian Express newspaper.
Setalvad's attorneys rejected the government's claims, saying that their clients are facing criminal cases due to exposing people behind 2002 riots in Gujarat. Modi was chief minister of Gujarat state at the time of the 2002 riots.
The CBI, in the first week of July, registered a case against companies linked to Setalvad alleging that they received foreign funds in violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
The #TeestaBail hashtag immediately started trending in the wake of the Bombay High Court decision to grant bail to Setalvad.
