Fake encounter case: No pressure to name Shah, says Sinha

CBI claimed to file charge sheet on the basis of evidence which could withstand legal scrutiny

CBI Director Ranjit Sinha today said there was no pressure on him to implicate former Gujarat home minister Amit Shah in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case and the agency has filed the charge sheet on the basis of evidence which could withstand legal scrutiny.

"There are always perceptions. We also hear. We have to go by the evidence that we have. After all I cannot invent evidence. We have to find evidence and assess whether it is fit to file the charge sheet," Sinha said at a function.

Sinha said the issue was also raised whether they were terrorists or not.

"The fact was they were human beings and they were killed in this country. We have to take action as per the Indian Penal Code. There is no exception for somebody who is labelled as a terrorist," he said.

"There was no pressure on me to implicate somebody in the case," he replied to a question whether he was under pressure to name Shah as accused in the case.

On the sobriquet of "caged parrot" earned by CBI, Sinha, in a light hearted comment said, "We have been called vultures during Ishrat Jahan case, we have been called caged parrot and also unbridled horse. I think we have lost our identity to the animal kingdom."

When he was asked about the action taken by the agency on the evidence that a senior Tamil Nadu Police officer was helping DMK leader Karunanidhi in 2G scam, Sinha said agency has already filed charge sheets in the 2G cases and matter is under trial.

"The recorded conversation which you referred we have also heard about it but we have not received a copy and we do not know whether they are relevant or not," he said.

He was speaking at India Today Conclave 2014 here.