Amit Shah applies for bail at CBI court

AHMEDABAD: Arrested in connection with the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case, Gujarat’s former MoS for home Amit Shah applied for bail at a CBI court here on Monday. Former DSP and co-accused N K Amin has decided to turn approver, a move that could spell more trouble for the jailed former minister.

CBI has filed an application for interrogation of Mr Shah, who resigned on Saturday, and will interrogate retired IPS officer G C Raiger and O P Mathur, former heads of CID (crime).

Noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani representing Mr Shah has filed a bail plea in the CBI special court, which fixed August 2 for its hearing. Earlier, CBI sought permission from the court to question Shah in jail. After his surrender on Sunday, the former minister was sent to 14 days of judicial custody.

“We will file an application in the CBI court on behalf of Amin to turn him approver in the (Sohrabuddin) case,” said Jagdish Ramani, Amin’s lawyer. The decision came a day after an elusive Shah was arrested and sent to jail. All the 15 accused faced charges of criminal conspiracy, murder, kidnapping and extortion.

Gujarat government spokesman Jaynarayan Vyas declined to discuss the fallout of Amin’s decision, saying the judicial process will take its own course.

Another lawyer Rajesh Modi, representing Amin, said there was threat to his client’s life from the other accused in the case, “so we have decided to move an application for a jail transfer,” Mr Modi said.

The two retired IPS officers, who had at one point headed probe into the fake encounter case while they were chiefs of the state CID have been summoned by CBI. Mr G C Raigar and Mr O P Mathur, who have already been questioned earlier by CBI in connection with the case, have been called for further questioning, sources in CBI said.

Mr Raigar reached the CBI office in Block 11 of Old Secretariat in Gandhinagar, where his questioning with regard to the case has begun, they said. “I was one of the witnesses in the case and hence been called by CBI. Following the summons, I had appeared before the investigating agency,” said Mr Raigar after coming out of CBI office.Mr Mathur is head of Raksha Shakti University recently set up by the state government.

The CBI court has also issued non-bailable warrants against Mr Ajay Patel, Chairman of Ahmedabad District Co-operative Bank and Mr Yashpal Chudasma, director of the bank. The two are aids of Mr Amit Shah and are co-accused in the case. Although Mr Shah surrendered before the court, the duo have refrained from appearing, as a result the court has issued these warrants.