April 19, 2024 05:08 (IST)
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Amit Shah discharged in fake encounter case
Mumbai, Dec 30 (IBNS): In a relief to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai discharged him in the 2005 Sohrabuddin fake encounter case on Tuesday, triggering various political reactions as the ruling party heaves a sigh of relief and celebrates while the Opposition calls it a "hogwash".
With his acquittal in the case, the BJP celebrated bursting crackers and the cleared party president was welcomed with garlands in the national capital. BJP president Rajnath Singh and other senior leaders said the verdict only vindicated their stand that Shah was innocent.
The court admitted Shah's defence that the case against him was "politically motivated."
The court found most the evidence against Shah based on hearsay.
BJP national spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi tweeted: "3/3 Charges proved FAKE. Congrats to Amit Bhai. Finally Justice Prevailed! Political vendetta must stop."
The federal investigation agency had charge-sheeted Shah in September, 2013 as he was charged with criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and offences under the Arms Act.
According to the CBI, Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kauser Bi were kidnapped by Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorism Squad in November 2005 and killed in a fake encounter.
The Gujarat police had claimed Sohrabuddin had links with Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and planned to assassinate important political leaders. A year later (in December 2006), Tulsiram Prajapati, a witness to the encounter, was killed by the Gujarat police.
Following the controversy, Shah, then a cabinet minister in the Gujarat government led by Chief Minister Narendra Modi, had to step down in 2010 after he was arrested in the case. He got bail three months later.
The family of Sohrabuddin Sheikh said they will move the Bombay High Court against the order.
Reacting to the order, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien said,"AmitS discharged in fake encounter case after top lawyers defend him for three days and CBI prosecutors get only 15 minutes. Wah!"
"We said this before, CBI is Credibility Broken Irreparably. After today’s hogwash, QED," he added.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also reacted strongly and stated: "A sinister conspiracy is underway to let BJP national president Amit Shah off the hook in the ongoing case of the cold-blooded murders of Sohrabuddin, his wife Kauser Bi and Tulsiram Prajapati who was a crucial eye- witness to their abductions."
They also questioned the autonomy of the central probe agency.
"The CBI arguments were merely technical and superficial in nature. The conduct of the agency raises serious questions about its independence autonomy. A wishy-washy approach against Shah leads to suspicion of an insidious conspiracy between the govt and the CBI to let Shah off the hook. The Special CBI court has reserved December 30 as the date to pass its order in Shah’s discharge application," AAP said.
"CBI autonomy has been a matter of fierce debate in the country during past few years. BJP in the past had accused the agency of being the Congress Bureau of Investigation and had promised to make it free of political meddling," it added.
The Congress also challenged the probe into the case by CBI.
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