Sohrabuddin Encounter
Sohrabuddin Sheikh was also claimed by the police to be associated with the banned global terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Pakistani intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence, and was alleged to have planned to create communal chaos in the state by assassinating "an important political leader". Although the target of Soharabuddin Sheikh's plans has never been officially revealed, the impression was given to political effect that it was to have been Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. Soharabuddin Sheikh's wife Kauser Bi also disappeared on the same day as his killing. A year later, on December 26, 2006, Soharabuddin Sheikh's associate Tulsiram Prajapati, a witness to the Soharabuddin Sheikh's killing, was also killed in another police encounter shooting.
Sheikh was alleged by the police to be extorting protection money from local marble factories in Gujarat and Rajasthan. He was also claimed to have links to fellow underworld criminals Sharif Khan Pathan, Abdul Latif, Rasool Parti and Brajesh Singh, who were all members and associates of India's largest organised crime network and underworld mafia operated by Dawood Ibrahim. During the investigations before he was arrested, the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of the Gujarat police claimed to have found 40 AK-47 assault rifles from his residence Village Jhirniya, District Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.
On 23–24 November 2005 Gujarati police deputy inspector general D. G. Vanzara took custody of history-sheeter Sohrabuddin Sheikh, his wife Kauser Bi, and Tulsiram Prajapati as they travelled by a bus in Sangli, Maharashtra. Vanzara sent Tulsiram to Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where the Rajasthani police took custody of him and took him to Udaipur, Rajasthan.
On 26 November police shot and killed Sohrabuddin Sheikh in what they would describe as a police encounter. On 28–29 November,2005 in a village in Ilol someone murdered and cremated Kauser Bi. Some accounts say that someone raped her also. In December,2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh's brother wrote to the Chief Justice of India claiming murder with police involvement. In response, the Supreme Court of India directed the Criminal Investigation Department in Gujarat to take the case from police and themselves investigate it.
A year later on 26 December 2006 police reported that Tulsiram had escaped from police custody. On 28 December,2006 a police encounter led to the Tulsiram Prajapati killing between the town of Ambaji and the village of Sarhad Chapri near the border between Gujarat and Rajasthan.
In February 2007 DIG Rajnish Rai submits a report to the CID. In April Rai arrests fellow IPS officers Dinesh MN, Rajkumar Pandian, and D. G. Vanzara. Weeks later Rai leaves the case investigation.
Early in 2010 the Supreme Court transfers the investigation of the case from the police in Gujarat to the CBI office in Mumbai. In April 2010 CBI arrests DIG Abhay Chudasma on charges of criminal collaboration with the deceased Sohrabuddin Sheikh.Chudasma was the 14th police officer arrested in the case. In July 2010 CBI chargesheeted and arrested Amit Shah, who was then Minister of State for the Government of Gujarat.
In April 2011 CBI took control of the investigation into the Tulsiram Prajapati killing. In 2012 the SC transferred the trial from the Gujarat High Court to the Bombay High Court to promote a more fair trial.[8] In 2013 the SC combined the cases of Sohrabuddin, his wife Kauser Bi, and Tulsiram.
In May 2014 Narendra Modi became Prime Minister of India, which was related to the case because defendant Amit Shah was his close advisor. The SC had stated that one judge should oversee the entire case. The first judge, J T Utpat, had ordered Amit Shah to appear in court. Judge Utpat left the case for unclear reasons in June 2014 and BH Loya replaced him. Judge Loya also insisted that Shah appear in court. In December 2014 Judge Loya died in strange circumstances claimed newspaper Deccan Herald Judge MB Gosavi replaced Loya. That month, the court discharged Amit Shah from the case as court found no evidence against Amit Shah and it was simply plotted by then ruling party and misused their power.
In November 2015 Sohrabuddin Sheikh's brother petitioned the Bombay High Court with a challenge against Amit Shah's discharge. Within days, he withdraws his petition. Activist Harsh Mander petitions the court with his own challenge against Amit Shah's discharge first to the Bombay court then the SC, but by the end of 2016 both courts dismissed Mander for lack of standing.
In November 2017 CBI Judge SJ Sharma begins the trial. Of 210 witnesses, 92 withdraw or change their earlier testimony and become hostile. Also in that month The Caravan publishes a story from Judge Loya's family in which they describe strange and hidden circumstances of his death. In January 2018 Judge Dipak Misra declares that Loya's death was by natural causes.
In September 2018 the court discharges several of the accused including Dinesh, Pandian, and Vanzara. In November,2018 the witness examination ends without the defense producing any witnesses. In December,2018 the court heard final arguments, and on 21 December,2018 the court discharged all 22 accused due to lack of evidence.
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