Sohrabuddin killing: Farmhouse owner gets bail

GANDHINAGAR - The Gujarat High Court Monday granted conditional bail to farmhouse owner Rajendra alias Raju Jirawala, an alleged co-conspirator in the 2005 Sohrabuddin Shiekh staged shootout case.

While granting him bail, the court ordered that Jirawala would not enter Ahmedabad district or Gandhinagar and furnish a bond of Rs.1 lakh. He was also told to present himself before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) once every month.

Justice Z.K. Saiyed granted Jirawala bail holding that the role attributed to him by the CBI was “limited”.

Justice Saiyed said: “The prosecuting agency could not prove the main ingredients of a criminal conspiracy - agreement and meeting of mind.”

“The prosecuting agency could not furnish anything on record to show that the present applicant has said, done or written anything admitting guilt to the said offence,” the court said.

The court asked CBI counsel Y.N. Ravani whether, apart from the handing over the keys of his farmhouse to policemen accused of killing Sheikh, there was anything else to show Jirawala’s involvement.

Sheikh and his wife were reportedly kept in Arham farm house, which belongs to Jirawala, before they were killed.

Sheikh was gunned down by policemen near Ahmedabad Nov 26, 2005 and his wife died in mysterious circumstances a few days later.

Counsel for Jirawala, J.M. Panchal said his client was wrongly accused by the CBI of being part of a larger conspiracy behind Sheikh’s killing.