I was confident of coming out clean: Rajasthan ex-minister Gulabchand Kataria

Former Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria on Thursday said that he had been confident of coming out clean in the case relating to the fake encounter killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in Gujarat.

"There were no evidences against me in the case because I was not involved in it. Since the matter was in the court, I presented strong facts in my defence and the court on the ground of those facts gave the verdict today," Kataria told reporters in the assembly building here.

"When CBI framed the charge sheet against me, I had said that if I am a culprit, I have no right to even live and had said that I will not return to the assembly as a member.

He said "I am happy with the court's decision," he said reacting to a special CBI court order today discharging Kataria and marble trader Vimal Patni from the Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Tulsiram Prajapati fake encounter killing cases, citing "insufficient" evidence.

Kataria was the Leader of the Opposition in May, 2013 when he was named in the charge sheet filed by CBI in the case.

After BJP came to power in December, 2013 in Rajasthan, he became Rural Development and Panchayti Raj Minister and was made Home Minister in a cabinet reshuffle in October last year.