Sohrabuddin fake encounter: SC issues notice to Amit Shah on bail

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Saturday issued notice to former Gujarat minister of state for home Amit Shah on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) petition seeking stay of a Gujarat High Court order giving him bail in the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh staged shootout case.

However, the apex court bench of Justice Aftab Alam and Justice RM Lodha directed Shah to stay out of Gujarat till Nov 15, the next date of hearing.

Shah has been asked to file his reply to the CBI petition by Nov 12 and the investigating agency will file a rejoinder before Nov 15.

Earlier in the day, the CBI has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of the bail granted by the Gujarat High Court to former state minister Amit Shah and sought an urgent hearing.

The petition was filed in the deputy registrar's office around 10.30pm on Friday night after the top brass of the premier investigating agency decided to move the apex court for cancelling the bail.

Senior lawyer KTS Tulsi, who appeared for CBI in the high court, accompanied CBI officials when the petition was filed.

The court will be on a brief Diwali recess from Monday. The deputy registrar is the court's vacation officer.

It is likely that the petition may come up before the vacation bench of the Supreme Court on Saturday.

The Gujarat High Court had on Friday granted Shah bail, three months after he was arrested in connection with the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.