Sohrabuddin encounter: Bombay HC dismisses PIL against CBI’s decision not to challenge Amit Shah’s discharge

The Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) against the CBI’s decision not to challenge a 2014 trial court judgement discharging BJP president, Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case.

A division bench comprising of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre said that it was not inclined to grant the relief sought in the petition. The petition was filed by the Bombay Lawyers Association, to question the CBI’s decision not to challenge the discharge granted to Shah in the case.

The court said in its judgement, “We are dismissing the petition. We are not inclined to grant any reliefs…especially when the petitioner is a body which has no locus in the case.”

In the year 2014, a special team from Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had discharged Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case. In the alleged fake encounter, Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi were killed by the Gujarat Police in the year 2005.

In 2006, Sheikh’s partner, Tulsi Prajapati was killed in another encounter by the Gujarat and Rajasthan police.

According to reports, almost 38 people were charged by the CBI in the case, out of them, 16 including Amit Shah and all senior officers of Gujarat and Rajasthan police, were discharged by the trial court and the Bombay High Court.

The CBI, based on the probe, had booked five officials, along with 33 other people accusing them in the ‘fake’ encounters of Sohrabuddin Shaikh and Kausar Bi in November 2005 and Prajapati in December 2006. However, Gujarat Police had then claimed Sohrabuddin Shaikh had terror links.

Also read: Bombay High Court to announce verdict on Sohrabuddin case