Sohrabuddin case: Now, BJP takes on CBI

Coming out strongly in defence of Gujarat's former minister of state for home, Amit Shah, and Rajasthan's former home minister, Gulab Chand Kataria, in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership alleged the government was using the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to settle political scores before the assembly elections later this year.

They have also raised doubts on the government's decision to form a Group of Ministers (GoM) to discuss more autonomy for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They said similar discussion happened in the select committee of the Rajya Sabha during meetings on the Lok Pal Bill and the new GoM was an eyewash, to delay the process of making CBI autonomous.

This is first time the central BJP leadership has openly defended Shah and Kataria (who is also the opposition had in the Rajasthan legislative assembly) in the case, relating to a much-reported set of events in centred on the Gujarat police's doings.

"Former Gujarat minister Amit Shah was arrested in an extortion case, then a senior BJP leader from Rajasthan, Rajendra Rathore, was arrested and now Rajasthan's former home minister, Gulab Chand Kataria, has been named in a supplementary chargesheet. The real face of CBI has come out before the Supreme Court and honesty and professionalism of the investigating agency has become questionable," said Arun Jaitley, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha.

CBI had charged Shah with murder, extortion and abduction for the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife, Kausar Bi, in 2005 in an alleged fake encounter. The agency has named Kataria for allegedly receiving money in the case.

Jaitley alleged Amit Shah was arrested because the main target of the CBI was the chief minister of Gujarat. He said Shah was granted bail by the trial court, later confirmed by the Supreme Court, while the court had rejected framing of charges against Rajendra Rathore because of lack of evidence.

The party's national head, Rajnath Singh, maintained the Congress party was systematically using the CBI to malign the BJP for political gains. he said but the main opposition party was ready to defend its members politically and legally. Singh said Kataria will remain Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan assembly.

The BJP said CBI officers were protecting former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal in the recent bribery case and the director of the investigating agency had gone on record to say there was no evidence against the Congress leader.

"There is 100 times more evidence in the member, railway board, appointment case. Misusing institutions will not benefit the Congress and affect our politics. The BJP will only benefit from these attacks in the assembly elections. The BJP leader who was targeted most by the CBI has only become stronger and won assembly elections with a greater margin," Jaitley said, in a reference to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.