Gujarat HC hands over RTI activist murder case to CBI

Criticising the Gujarat police for its ‘unfair’ probe in the RTI activist Amit Jethwa murder case, a division bench of Gujarat high court, on Tuesday, handed over the probe to the CBI. It also asked the investigating agency to submit its report within six months.

The development is a further embarrassment for the ruling BJP in a state going to assembly poll in a few month’s time. Father of Amit, Bhikha Jethwa has alleged that BJP’s Junagadh MP Dinu Solanki was behind the killing of his son, who was shot outside the Gujarat high court on July 20, 2010.

The probe by Gujarat police had given a clean chit to Solanki. However, the court observed that investigation by the Gujarat police in the Jethwa case was far from satisfactory and to instill the confidence and sense of justice in the probe, the court is compelled to transfer it to the CBI.

While handing over the probe to CBI, the bench of justices DH Waghela and JC Upadhyay also turned down the request of government pleader to stay the order for three weeks to challenge it in the SC. The court also asked the state police to hand over all papers related to the case to the CBI within 10 days.

Granting Amit’s father Bhikha Jethwa’s request for a probe by CBI into Dinu Solanki’s role, the court observed, “Investigation into the murder of the petitioner’s (Bhikha Jethwa) son does not appear to have been carried out in conformity with the legal provisions and the control exercised by one police officer of a very high rank,” said the bench.

Observing that investigation in the case was far from being fair, independent, bonafide or prompt, the bench said, “All throughout and even after the orders for further investigation by this court, provides sufficient ground to conclude that the investigation was controlled and the line of investigation was determined and supervised so as to put to naught the allegations made and the suspicion raised by the acquaintances and family members of the deceased.”

RTI activist Amit Jethwa was killed opposite Gujarat high court premises on July 20, 2010 during the pendency of a PIL filed by him against illegal mining within the 5 km prohibited periphery of Gir forest by and at the behest of Dinu Solanki.