Aggrieved by the Mumbai-based special CBI court’s orders granting discharge to eight accused in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh fake encounter case so far, his brother today said the central agency had conducted an incomplete probe, and he would be moving the High Court.
The Mumbai court, on April 29, discharged IPS officer Abhay Chudasama from the case. Earlier it had discharged BJP President Amit Shah, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria, businessman Vimal Patni, former Gujarat police chief P C Pande, Additional Director General of Police Geeta Johri, Yashpal Chudasama and Ajay Patel (both senior office-bearers at Ahmedabad District Co-Operative Bank).
“All eight people were discharged by the court due to incomplete investigation by CBI,” said Rubabuddin Shaikh, Sohrabuddin’s brother, speaking to PTI over phone.
“I will take up this issue to the Supreme Court. I will write to the SC registrar….I will also challenge the orders (of discharge) before the High Court,” he said.
“Since the formation of the new government (at Centre), CBI has been protecting evey accused. It has dropped the advocates (prosecutors) who were familiar with this case,” he alleged.
The central agency did not even seek the prosecution of Gujarat-cadre IPS officers P C Pande and Geeta Johri which affected the probe adversely, he said.
The opposition Congress also criticised the CBI today. “All the accused had pleaded before the Supreme Court that they were innocent….The apex court did not accept it. But now the lower court has discharged them. The CBI should have at least gone in appeal,” Congress spokesperson and Abdasa MLA Shaktisinh Gohil said.