File pcture of Amit Shah, former Home Minister of Gujarat
The Supreme Court today exempted BJP leader Amit Shah - one of the accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh shootout case - from reporting to the Central Bureau of Investigation every alternate Saturday.
While modifying an earlier order of September 27, a bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjana Desai noted that there are no allegations of interference in the form of influencing or threatening by Mr Shah in the course of the trial.
While exempting Mr Shah from reporting to the CBI, the court said that other conditions that were imposed in the 2012 order, permitting Mr Shah to enter Gujarat, would remain.
Amit Shah, a BJP general secretary and in-chage of the party's Uttar Pradesh affairs, submitted that he has scrupulously complied with the conditions till date.
Mr Shah contended that the object of the condition was to ensure his presence at the time of trial and till the competent magistrate has not taken cognisance of the alleged crime.
This stage has now been crossed as a magistrate has taken the cognisance and the case has been committed to session court, said Mr Shah's application, adding that no prejudice would be caused to any party if the appearance condition was deleted.
The application said that there was no apprehension that he would "flee from justice, or become an outlaw and would not be available for trial if the condition requiring him to report before the CBI is deleted from the order dated September 27, 2012".
Sohrabuddin Sheikh was killed while in police custody Nov 26, 2005. At the time, Mr Shah was Gujarat's home minister and the police reported to him.