As Amit Shah Recalls 'Misuse of Central Agencies' During Sohrabuddin Sheikh Trial, a Timeline of Case | Rising India Summit

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday recalled how he was regularly pressured by federal investigators to “frame” then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. In an interview to Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi at the News18 Rising India Summit, Shah, responding to the Congress alleging misuse of agencies amid Rahul Gandhi’s conviction and subsequent disqualification, said it was him who had actually suffered when he was booked and then arrested in an encounter case. Read excerpts from the interview here

“Why were they all — UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, then PM Manmohan Singh, then home minister P Chidambaram and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi — silent then?” Shah said. Live Updates from the Summit

Amid the developments, let’s take a look at the timeline of the Sohrabuddin ‘fake’ encounter case, and what had happened:

November 22, 2005: Sohrabuddin, Kausar Bi and Prajapati were intercepted by a police team in a bus while returning to Sangli from Hyderabad and taken into custody. Shaikh and his wife taken in one vehicle, Prajapati in another. Before his arrest, the Gujarat police Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) said they had discovered 40 AK-47 assault firearms at his home in Village Jhirniya, District Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.

November 22 to 25, 2005: Shaikh and Kausar Bi were kept in a farm house near Ahmedabad. Prajapati was sent to Udaipur where he is lodged in the prison there to face trial in cases against him.

November 26, 2005: On November 26, police shot and killed Sohrabuddin in what they called a “police encounter.” On the 28th and 29th of November, Kauser Bi was also allegedly killed by the police, her body burnt and disposed of.

December 27, 2006: On December 26, 2006, police stated that Tulsiram had fled from police custody. Tulsiram Prajapati was killed the next day during a police encounter between the towns of Ambaji and Sarhad Chapri, near the boundary between Gujarat and Rajasthan.

2005-2006: Sohrabuddin’s brother appealed to the Chief Justice of India in December, claiming murder with police participation. In response, the Supreme Court of India asked the Gujarat state CID to take over the investigation from the police.

April 30, 2007: The Gujarat government files a report before SC stating Kausar Bi is dead and her body burnt and disposed of, says a PTI report.

January 2010: The Supreme Court hands over the probe in the case to CBI.

July 23, 2010: CBI files chargesheet in the case against 38 persons including the then Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah, the then Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria and senior IPS officials.

July 25, 2010: CBI arrests Amit Shah in the case.

“I have full faith in the judiciary and I am sure the allegations against me will be cleared by the courts,” Shah had said after he appeared during a press conference called by state BJP president R C Faldu at the BJP headquarters in Ahmedabad.

October 8, 2010: A special CBI court in Gujarat rejects Amit Shah’s bail plea.

October 29, 2010: Gujarat High Court grants bail to Amit Shah on a bond of Rs one lakh.

Talking about how he secured bail, Shah said on Wednesday: “On the 90th day, I was given bail as the high court said there was not enough proof against me. My case was in Mumbai where the court noted that the CBI registered a case against me due to political pressures and thus dismissed all charges against me.”

September 27, 2012: SC transfers trial in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh-Kausar Bi alleged fake encounter case from Gujarat to Mumbai as sought by the CBI to ensure a fair trial.

April 8, 2012: SC clubs trial in Shaikh, Kausar Bi and Prajapati encounter cases.

December 30, 2014: A special CBI court in Mumbai discharges Amit Shah from the case. Fifteen other accused including Kataria and senior IPS officials also discharged subsequently.

December 2015: Social activist Harsh Mander moves HC against Amit Shah’s discharge.

April 2016: Bombay HC dismisses Mander’s petition after observing that he has no ‘locus standi’ (not an aggrieved party) in the case. Mander files appeal in Supreme Court.

August 2016: SC rejects Mander’s appeal.

October 2017: Special CBI court in Mumbai frames charges against 22 accused.

November 2017: Special CBI Judge S J Sharma commences trial in the case. Prosecution examines 210 witnesses, of which 92 turn hostile.

September 2018: Bombay HC upholds discharge granted to senior police officers D G Vanzara, Rajkumar Pandian, NK Amin, Vipul Aggarwal, Dinesh MN and Dalpat Singh Rathod.

November 23, 2018: Court completes examination of witnesses and recording of statements of the accused persons under section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

December 5, 2018: Court closes the case for judgment on December 21, 2018 after completion of final arguments by prosecution and defence lawyers.

December 21, 2018: Court acquits all 22 accused in the case after observing that prosecution failed to establish charges against them.

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