Sohrabuddin case: Gujarat’s Home Minister fails to appear before CBI

GANDHINAGAR - Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah, who had been summoned by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court for questioning in connection with the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, failed to turn up on Thursday.

The CBI court has once again issued summons to him to appear before it by 1 p.m. on Friday.

There are reports that if Shah fails to appear before the CBI on Friday, the investigating agency may move the court to seek an arrest warrant in his name.

Three police officers from Gujarat and one from Rajasthan are already in jail for their role in the case.

Sohrabuddin and his wife were killed in an alleged fake encounter in 2005. n March 2007, police said Sohrabuddin Sheikh, belonged to Lashkar-e-Toiba and was planning to assassinate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to avenge the death of Muslims killed in the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The government also admitted that Sohrabuddin’s innocent wife Kausar Bi had been killed by the police and her body burnt in an attempt to remove traces of the crime.

The Gujarat Government admitted that senior police officers were directly involved in the killing of Sohrabuddin, and his wife, Kausar Bi, in 2005.

The admission came as a result of the intervention of Supreme Court, which ordered investigations into this case.

The CBI took up the case on directions of the Supreme Court. Earlier, the apex court had asked the CBI to probe if there was any larger conspiracy to the killings and submit the report by July 31. (ANI)