CBI claims politically motivated: Amit Shah

NEW DELHI - Gujarat’s former minister of state for home Amit Shah has told the Supreme Court that the Central Bureau of Investigation’s case about his involvement in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh staged killing was “politically motivated” to “tarnish” his image.

In his 120-page reply to the CBI’s appeal seeking the cancellation of his bail given by the Gujarat High Court, Shah said that the statement of witnesses under Section 161 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) was just verbatim except for the last paragraph that was “so worded” to “implicate” him in the case.

Shah, who has been barred by the apex court bench of Justice Aftab Alam and Justice R.M.Lodha from entering Gujarat, maintained, in his reply, that he was in no way involved in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case and was innocent.

The Supreme Court issued notice to Shah Oct 30 on an appeal by the CBI seeking cancellation of his bail by Gujarat High Court. Arrested by the CBI on July 25, Shah was granted bail by the high court Oct 29.

The appeal against the high court order was held at the residence on Justice Aftab Alam as Oct 30 was Saturday and the apex court was closed.

The court directed Shah to stay away from Gujarat till Nov 15, and subsequently this date was extended till further orders of the court.

The CBI, in its appeal, accused Shah being a part of “criminal conspiracy” who gave “illegal instructions” to the then Additional Director General of Police, CID (crime) G.C.Raiger regarding investigations into Sohrabuddin Sheikh case.

The appeal says that Raiger has to suffer for being “immediately and unceremoniously” transferred on Feb 3, 2007, for not carrying out Shah’s wishes.

The appeal says that on then instructions of Amit Shah, as conveyed by the then Insopector General of Police (IGP) Geetha Johri, the case paper in Sohrabuddin case were sought to be changed to exclude the names of police officers D.G.Vanzara, R.K.Pandian and others.

The CBI has said that its investigations have revealed that Shah and Gujarat Police officer Abhay Chudasama “while in judicial custody, conspired with some Gujarat Police officers to destroy the crucial evidence and to shield the accused from the law”.

The appeal cited the instance when one of the witnesses Mohammed Azam Khan was allegedly abducted Sep 21, 2009, and was forced to “prepare and sign a false affidavit” retracting his statement given to the CBI before a magistrate.

The CBI cited various instances and chain of events to state that Shah was the “main conspirator and has committed the offences punishable” under various provisions of criminal law.