Considered to be a breakthrough in the CBI investigation, suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police in Ahmedabad Crime Branch Narendra Amin's application to turn approver has reportedly shaken the accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh-Kausarbi murder case and the BJP government in Gujarat.
Mr. Amin was connected with the former DIG D.G. Vanzara and his “encounter team” for long and believed to be a party in making arrangements for burning the body of Kausar Bi in Illol, native village of the Mr. Vanzara, in Sabarkantha district.
Along with the application for turning approver, Mr. Amin has also sought pardon and a transfer from the Sabarmati Central Jail where, he said, his life was threatened as his co-accused were also housed there, particularly after he spilled the beans on others.
For Mr. Shah, his supporters managed to marshal noted Supreme Court advocate Ram Jethmalani, who is also the BJP member of the Rajya Sabha. Mr. Jethmalani personally appeared before the Special CBI judge, G. K. Upadhyaya, to plead for his bail, but the hearing for the bail application was posted to August 2.
Nirupam Nanavati, also representing Mr. Shah, said Mr. Jethmalani told the court that he had no objection to the CBI questioning Mr. Shah in judicial custody but this should be done only after a copy of the charge sheet was made available to the defence and Mr. Shah had the chance to study it properly. He also wanted the questioning to be video-recorded, which was promptly accepted by the court and issued orders accordingly to the CBI and the jail authorities.
Mr. Jethmalani argued that the CBI had failed to question Mr. Shah over the last six months since the apex court handed over the case to it in January and even filed the charge sheet without hearing his version.
“You have already prejudiced our defence,” the lawyer stated in the court referring to the CBI. The CBI was also directed to make a copy of the charge-sheet available to Mr. Shah.
In the adjoining Special CBI Court of A.I. Raval, who heard the CBI application for interrogating Mr. Shah in the jail, the CBI secured the permission to question the former Minister for three days from July 28 between 9.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. with the entire proceedings to be both audio and video-recorded.
Before moving the application for turning approver, Mr. Amin's lawyers reportedly discussed the issue with the CBI officials in Gandhinagar and the court's approval of the plea would much depend on the stand CBI take on the issue tomorrow.
