English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter case: Court acquits all accused citing lack of evidence

Published

8 years ago

on

Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter case: Court acquits all accused citing lack of evidence

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Finally, the verdict in Sohrabuddin  Shaikh alleged fake encounter case went the way that was apparent through the various stages the trial went through, will all accused being acquitted owing to witnesses turning hostile and prosecution failing to provide clinching evidence.

The special CBI court in Mumbai hearing the encounter killing case of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Tulsiram Prajapati in 2005 and 2006, today (Friday, Dec 21) acquitted all 22 accused, citing lack of proof.

The case had drawn much attention as BJP chief Amit Shah was also an accused in the case but was discharged later. The case and Shah was also referred to as the reason behind the ‘mysterious’ death of Judge BH Loya, who was handling the case, as well as deaths of retired judge Prakash Thombre and advocate Shrikant Khandalkar who were supposedly his confidantes. It was alleged that Judge Loya was under pressure to give a judgment favourable to Shah.

A report on news portal ‘thecitizen.in’ said: “Loyla’s (sic) death followed his appointment as the Judge of the CBI trial court. His predecessor had been transferred as he pulled up Shah for not appearing before the court. Loyla did the same and now three years after he died, his family has raised a number of questions that constitute the Caravan story. Significantly, Loyla’s successor MB Gosavi was more accommodating and he discharged Shah agreeing with the argument that he had been framed by the CBI, and was not involved.”

As for suspicions about Judge Loya’s death, the Supreme Court ruled there was nothing suspicious about Loya’s death and there is no need for investigation.

Today, in its verdict on Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter case, the court said the CBI could not establish that policemen abducted Sohrabuddin from Hyderabad, brought them to Valsad and kept them in illegal confinement. Reading its order the CBI court said, “Government machinery and prosecution put in a lot of effort, 210 witnesses were brought but satisfactory evidence didn’t come and witnesses turned hostile. No fault of the prosecutor if witnesses don’t speak.”

Sohrabuddin Sheikh, an alleged gangster, was killed in an alleged fake encounter in 2005 by the Gujarat Police. His wife was allegedly raped and killed three days later. Shaikh’s aide Tulsiram Prajapati was the sole witness to the murders. He was in police custody after the incident but was shot dead in another encounter in December 2006, when the police claimed he was trying to escape.

There were 22 accused policemen and others in the case who have been facing trial. Out of the 210 witnesses brought in by the prosecution, 92 have been declared hostile.

“CBI prosecution tried its best to prove the case, but unfortunately the evidence, even after three chargesheets were not substantial enough to prove the allegations beyond doubt… Despite three investigations, the evidence is lacking.”

“The prosecution had only three important witnesses to establish its claim about the abduction of Shaikh and Kausar Bi from the bus[, but they] had turned hostile. Besides that, they had no evidence to prove their case,” the judge said.

“Tulsiram Prajapati’s abduction story could not be proved. The CBI in its third chargesheet had claimed that he was the third person travelling with Shaikh and Kausar Bi on the bus from Hyderabad to Sangli. However, the material evidence and witnesses in the court have established that he was not on the bus. He was arrested from Bhilwara directly on November 26, 2005,” the judge said.

The court said the allegation that Tulsiram Prajapati was murdered through a conspiracy is not true. CBI could not establish that Ashish Pandya was called by Vanzara for killing Tulsiram Prajapati in an encounter, according to the court.

The court also expressed sorrow at its inability to convict anyone and said, “I feel extremely sorry for the family of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, and Tulsiram Prajapati, especially his mother Narmadabai. But the evidence before me could not establish the roles of any person accused in the case…[there is] no material evidence to prove any charges against the accused.”

The court also rejected applications of two crucial witnesses seeking re-examination, saying they were not tenable. The witnesses had alleged that they were threatened by the accused on the day their statements were recorded and hence they could only manage to give a partial statement. Interestingly, lawyers of both witnesses were not present today, reported TheWire.

The court had earlier discharged, for want of evidence, 16 of the 38 persons chargesheeted by the CBI. These included Amit Shah, then Rajasthan home minister Gulabchand Kataria, former Gujarat police chief PC Pande and former senior Gujarat police officer D.G. Vanzara.

Deputy SP Patel had been accused of intimidation and evidence tampering. However, the court said on Friday that there was no evidence to show that he had used his power to try and intimidate anyone.

According to the CBI, Shaikh, an alleged gangster, his wife Kausar Bi and his aide Prajapati were abducted by Gujarat police from a bus when they were on their way to Sangli in Maharashtra from Hyderabad on the night of November 22 and 23, 2005.

Shaikh was killed in an alleged fake encounter on November 26, 2005 near Ahmedabad. His wife was killed three days later and her body was disposed of, the CBI said. A year later, on December 27, 2006, Prajapati was also shot dead by Gujarat and Rajasthan police in an alleged fake encounter near Chapri on Gujarat-Rajasthan border.

The case was initially probed by the Gujarat CID before the CBI took over in 2010. The Supreme Court in 2013 directed that the trial be shifted to Mumbai from Gujarat on the central agency’s request to ensure a fair trial.

Between March 2012 and June 2012, JT Utpat heard the case before being succeeded by Judge BH Loya, who heard the case from June 2014 till his death in December 2014. His successor Madan Gosavi heard the case till June 2017, discharging some of the accused, including Shah. The case was now being heard by Special Judge SJ Sharma, who in 2017 had discharged three accused, including former Gujarat DIG D.G. Vanzara and IPS officer Dinesh MN.

The prosecution examined 210 witnesses, of which 92 turned hostile.

On November 29, 2017, when the first witness was to be examined, the trial court suddenly gagged the media from reporting on the case on a plea made by the defence advocates. Several journalists, including from The Wire, appealed against the order before the high court, which set aside the order on January 24.

Justice Revati Mohite-Dere, who set aside the gag order and was initially hearing the bunch of discharge applications — decided by Justice A.M. Badar on Monday — was transferred soon after, in February.

Even on the day of the verdict, the court is yet to decide on several contentious applications by key witnesses seeking re-examination. Witnesses have claimed that they have been threatened and faced intimidation from the policemen facing trial. Similar claims have also been made by the complainant and Prajapati’s mother Narmadabai in her exclusive interview to The Wire. Although a prime witness, she failed to appear before the court for deposition.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Home Affairs suspended Gujarat cadre Indian Police Service officer Rajnish Rai, who was the first investigator in the case and had arrested three IPS officers accused in the case, reported The Hindu. Rai had reportedly written to the ministry seeking voluntary retirement in August, but the Centre had rejected his plea.

On November 20, former chief investigating officer Amitabh Thakur had claimed that Shah, who was the state’s home minister at that time, and four senior police officers benefited politically and monetarily from the case. All the five named by Thakur were discharged by the trial court between 2014 and 2017.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

India News

Congress to challenge Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination rejection in Madhya Pradesh High Court

Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan has announced that the party will challenge the rejection of her Rajya Sabha nomination in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, alleging the decision was legally flawed and that the Election Commission failed to follow a consistent approach.

Published

4 hours ago

on

July 7, 2026

By

The Congress is preparing to challenge the rejection of senior leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, shifting the dispute from the political arena to the legal forum.

Weeks after her nomination was rejected ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, the former Member of Parliament asserted that the decision was not the result of any lapse by Congress leaders, legal experts or those involved in preparing the nomination papers. Instead, she claimed the rejection was based on an incorrect legal interpretation.

Congress to file election petition

Natarajan said the party would file an election petition within the prescribed time and contest the entire process before the High Court. She also alleged that a deliberate narrative was created to portray the rejection as a consequence of negligence within the Congress, thereby diverting attention from the Election Commission’s role.

According to her, the Returning Officer rejected her nomination citing non-disclosure of information related to a pending case. However, she argued that Form-26, which candidates are required to submit along with their nomination papers, does not contain any specific provision requiring disclosure of such information.

Natarajan said she has contested multiple elections in the past and maintained that experienced legal experts within the Congress have handled nomination papers for years, making such an oversight highly unlikely.

Questions raised over Election Commission’s approach

The Congress leader also questioned the Election Commission’s handling of the matter, alleging that it failed to apply uniform standards in similar cases.

She referred to the case of Rajya Sabha candidate Parimal Nathwani in Jharkhand, claiming he was given 24 hours to rectify issues in his nomination papers, whereas she was not provided a similar opportunity. According to Natarajan, the differing treatment raises concerns about consistency in the poll body’s decision-making process.

Congress sources said the party’s legal cell is preparing the election petition under the guidance of senior lawyers. The dispute had earlier reached the Election Commission and subsequently the Supreme Court, but the party will now pursue the legal remedy available after the election process through the High Court.

The Congress has also alleged that the Election Commission did not act impartially during the proceedings. Party leaders claimed senior Congress representatives and lawyers reached the poll body on time to present their arguments, but the proceedings were delayed. They further alleged that the Election Commission had the authority to overturn the Returning Officer’s decision but chose not to intervene.

BJP rejects Congress allegations

The Bharatiya Janata Party dismissed the Congress’ allegations, attributing the controversy to internal issues within the opposition party.

BJP state spokesperson Ajay Yadav said the rejection of Natarajan’s nomination was the result of internal infighting in the Congress. He also claimed that the senior leader had been sidelined within her party and suggested that the Congress should introspect instead of blaming the Election Commission.

Natarajan, however, rejected claims that the Congress was responsible for any lapse leading to the rejection of her nomination.

Continue Reading

India News

Heavy rain triggers flash floods and landslides across Jammu and Kashmir, damaging roads and property

Heavy rainfall triggered flash floods and landslides across Jammu and Kashmir, damaging infrastructure, disrupting traffic and prompting authorities to issue a weather advisory.

Published

4 hours ago

on

July 7, 2026

By

Monsoon in Jammu and Kashmir

Heavy rainfall across several parts of Jammu and Kashmir triggered flash floods and landslides, causing widespread damage to roads, vehicles and residential property. The adverse weather also disrupted traffic in multiple areas, prompting authorities to advise people to remain vigilant.

Flash flood causes destruction in Doda

A flash flood struck the Thathri sub-division of Doda district after heavy overnight rainfall, leading to significant damage to homes, vehicles and other property.

Floodwaters surged through the Thathri market after water levels in local streams rose rapidly. Large quantities of mud, stones and debris entered residential areas, inundating houses and damaging parked vehicles as water flowed through roads and marketplaces.

Residents said the flooding occurred suddenly, leaving little time to respond. Officials have started assessing the damage, while restoration and relief work is underway.

Local residents alleged that debris from ongoing link road construction is frequently dumped into the Thathri stream. They claimed the accumulated material obstructs the natural flow of water, increasing the risk of flooding during heavy rainfall. Residents urged the administration to take corrective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Doda-Kishtwar highway affected by flash floods

Continuous rainfall also triggered flash floods that damaged the Doda-Kishtwar highway, disrupting vehicular movement on the route.

Officials said floodwaters deposited large amounts of mud, boulders and debris on the highway. A portion of the road was damaged, forcing authorities to suspend traffic until conditions improve.

In neighbouring Kishtwar district, heavy rain triggered a landslide and mudslide near the tunnel area of the under-construction 540 MW Kwar Hydroelectric Power Project, adding to the weather-related disruption in the region.

Administration issues weather advisory

The administration had earlier issued an advisory warning of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, flash floods and landslides in vulnerable areas across Jammu and Kashmir.

Authorities advised residents, particularly those living near rivers, streams and nallahs, to remain alert and avoid unsafe locations during the ongoing spell of rain.

Samba receives highest rainfall

According to the Meteorological Department, Samba recorded the highest rainfall in the Jammu region during the 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Monday, receiving 90 mm of rainfall.

Kathua received 66.2 mm, followed by Katra (44.4 mm), Doda (42 mm), Jammu (41.8 mm), Udhampur (40.6 mm), Bhaderwah (33.6 mm), Kishtwar (24 mm), Reasi (10.5 mm), Batote (4.7 mm), Ramban (4.5 mm) and Banihal (0.4 mm).

Continue Reading

India News

Mumbai-Pune train services remain suspended for second day after landslides, Central Railway issues fresh cancellation list

Heavy rainfall-triggered landslides have disrupted Mumbai-Pune train services for a second consecutive day, with Central Railway cancelling several MEMU services and continuing restoration work.

Published

5 hours ago

on

July 7, 2026

By

Train services between Mumbai and Pune remained suspended for the second consecutive day on Tuesday after heavy monsoon rains triggered multiple landslides in the Bhor Ghat section of the Central Railway network, affecting one of Maharashtra’s busiest rail corridors.

Railway officials continued restoration work across the affected stretch, where mud, rocks and boulders have blocked tracks following persistent rainfall. Authorities said services will resume only after a detailed safety inspection confirms that the route is fit for operations.

Landslides disrupt railway operations in Bhor Ghat

The disruption was caused by multiple landslides in the Karjat-Lonavala section. A major landslide occurred between Thakurvadi and Monkey Hill Loop Cabin (MHLC) on the Up Main Line in the Mumbai division. Another incident was reported on the Middle Line between Khandala and Monkey Hill.

Continuous rainfall has destabilised slopes in the ghat region, resulting in debris falling onto multiple railway tracks and making train movement unsafe.

Teams from Central Railway have been working with heavy machinery to remove debris, inspect the tracks and restore services. However, ongoing rainfall has slowed restoration efforts, prompting authorities to continue the suspension of train operations in the interest of passenger safety.

Central Railway cancels six MEMU services

Central Railway has released a fresh list of cancelled MEMU services for July 7, 2026.

The cancelled trains are:

  • DRD-PNVL MEMU (Train No. 69164), departure 5:25 am
  • PNVL-DSR MEMU (Train No. 69165), departure 9:20 am
  • BSR-PNVL MEMU (Train No. 69168), departure 12:10 pm
  • PNVL-BSR MEMU (Train No. 69167), departure 2:35 pm
  • BSR-PNVL MEMU (Train No. 69166), departure 4:40 pm
  • PNVL-DRD MEMU (Train No. 69161), departure 7:05 pm

Passengers have been advised to check the latest train status through official railway platforms before travelling.

Railway Minister reviews restoration efforts

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the ongoing restoration work and directed officials from Central and Western Railway to coordinate efforts to restore services at the earliest without compromising passenger safety.

Railway authorities said operations would resume only after a comprehensive inspection confirms that the affected tracks are safe for regular train movement.

Heavy rain also impacts road traffic

The intense rainfall has also disrupted road transport between Mumbai and Pune. Landslides and waterlogging affected parts of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway as well as the old Mumbai-Pune Highway, causing temporary traffic disruptions before authorities cleared the affected sections.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for several parts of Maharashtra, warning of continued heavy to very heavy rainfall. Officials cautioned that further showers could trigger additional landslides and delay the restoration of railway services.

Railway authorities said updates on cancellations, diversions and the resumption of train services will continue to be issued as restoration work progresses.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com