Sohrabuddin fake encounter case: CBI arrests Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI) on Sunday arrested former Gujarat minister Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.

The CBI has taken Shah to the residence of judicial magistrate AY Dave for remand.

Earlier in the morning, Shah dramatically surfaced at a BJP media briefing in Ahmedabad. Presenting a point-to-point defence, Shah said he was being framed by the CBI and was being presented as a goon by the agency.

"All the allegations against me are politically motivated and fabricated. None of the allegations are true," Shah had told reporters. "It is a conspiracy against the BJP and a Congress government motivated move," he added. The former minister was not seen in public for two months.

"I haven't got the chargesheet copy, but from the contents which are coming in the media... (I want to say that) the accusations against me are fabricated, politically motivated and framed on the behest of the Congress government," Shah had said.

Shah at the media briefing said the haste on part of the CBI proves that the chargesheet was premeditated. Shah added that he could not respond to the summons by the CBI due to paucity of time. "I received the CBI summons at 11 am to appear at 1 pm on July 22".

The 2,000-page CBI chargesheet says Shah had entrusted the task of eliminating Sohrabuddin, an alleged gangster, to IPS officers DG Vanzara, Rajkumar Pandian and Abhay Chudasama. Sohrabuddin was killed in an encounter near Ahmedabad on November 26, 2005. Later, Shah allegedly ordered elimination of Sohrabuddin's wife, Kauserbi, described as a witness to her husband's slaying.

46-year-old Shah, who had tendered his resignation to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, said he will fight against the conspirators. "I have full faith in the judiciary and I am sure the allegations against me will be cleared by the courts," he said demanding that his entire questioning by the CBI should be video-graphed.