CBI files supplementary charge sheet in Sohrabuddin case

The CBI today filed a supplementary charge sheet in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case against former Gujarat minister Amit Shah and owner of a farmhouse located on the city's outskirts.

The charge sheet was filed in a special court here. On July 23, the central agency had filed a charge sheet against 15 accused in the five-year-old case.

Shah and Rajesh Jirawala, owner of 'Arham' farmhouse, where Sheikh and his wife Kausarbi were kept before being killed, were apprehended after the charge sheet was filed.

Shah, a former minister of state for home accused of extortion, kidnapping and murder, was arrested on July 25.

The close aide of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has been described as "kingpin" of the conspiracy leading to the fake encounter of Sheikh, an alleged gangster, in November 2005 and subsequent killing of two key witnesses - his wife Kausarbi and associate Tulshiram Prajapati.

Shah is currently in Sabarmati central jail and his bail application is pending in the Gujarat high court. The accused in the high-profile case include IPS officers DG Vanzara, Rajkumar Pandian, MN Dinesh and Abhay Chudasama.

According to the first charge sheet, "elimination of Sohrabuddin was being used for extortion by the accused to establish an element of fear in the minds of the businessmen and others."