Sohrabuddin fake encounter case: Court drops all charges against Amit Shah

A special CBI court in Mumbai dropped the charges against BJP president Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, according to reports.

“I am of the opinion that the inference drawn by CBI is not accepted in totality and he (Shah) cannot be charged as an accused,” Special CBI Judge M B Gosavi said in a brief order pronounced in the court.

Details of the judgement will be available later.

According to Times Now, Sohrabuddin’s family said that they would move the High Court against the clean chit given to Amit Shah. Sohrabuddin’s brother Rubabuddin said, “CBI is a parrot.”

Last month, Shah was exempted from appearing before the CBI court till the framing of charges was complete. Shah had sought permanent exemption but the court granted him one only till the charges are framed, a stage which is followed by commencement of trial.

In September 2013, the CBI had chargesheeted Shah - the former Home Minister of Gujarat - and 36 others, including several police officers. Shah was charged with criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and offences under the Arms Act.

According to CBI, Sohrabuddin and his wife Kauser Bi were abducted by the Gujarat police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad in November 2005 and killed in a staged encounter near Gandhinagar. Sohrabuddin is alleged to have demanded protection money from a businessman prior to his death.

Further, CBI says, Tulsiram Prajapati, an eyewitness to the fake encounter, was also killed by the police in another fake encounter at Chapri village in Banaskantha district of Gujarat in December 2006.

Some of the accused, including Shah and former IPS officers of Gujarat DG Vanzara and Rajkumar Pandian, had been granted bail.

Taking into account the alleged threat to witnesses, the Supreme Court had transferred the trial of the case from Ahmedabad to Mumbai earlier this year.

(With inputs from PTI)