Sohrabuddin case: Amit Shah’s bail plea rejected

GANDHINAGAR - The Ahmedabad special CBI court Friday rejected the bail plea of former Gujarat minister of state for home Amit Shah, accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh staged shootout case.

Rejecting the bail plea, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court judge G.K. Upadhayay stated in his order that there were reasons to believe that there was substantial evidence against Shah.

Reviewing the earlier actions, the court feels that if released on bail, he may misuse his political position and create obstacles in the way of the investigations and, therefore, the bail plea stands rejected, the judge said.

On Sep 29, Justice Upadhayay after hearing the concluding arguments by Shahs lawyer Ram Jethmalani reserved orders on the petition for Friday. Jethmalani argued that the statements made by Nayeemuddin and Azam Khan, who had both retracted their earlier statements given to the CBI, should be taken on record.

CBI counsel K.T.S. Tulsi, on the other hand, volunteered to produce the video recording of the statements by the two stating that there was no coercion involved in it. He said if the encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh was such a heroic act why not take responsibility for it. He submitted that the accused though in Sabarmati jail wielded tremendous power and was using it to pressurise witnesses. Jethmalani later withdrew his oral submissions in this regard.

Amit Shah is a prime accused in the Sohrabuddin-Kausar Bi murder case. He was arrested by the CBI July 25. He has been charged with murder, extortion and numerous other offences.