Mumbai: The CBI’s decision not to challenge the discharge granted to BJP president Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh alleged fake encounter case in 2014 was a “conscious” and “reasonable” move, the agency told the Bombay High Court on Wednesday. Seeking dismissal of two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) questioning the CBI’s decision, the central agency said the pleas are “politically motivated” and “publicity stunts”.
The petitioner’s counsel, however, argued that the CBI had changed its stand on Shah after the change of govt at the Centre in 2014. CBI’s Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told the court that the investigating agency had studied the trial court’s order granting discharge to Shah as well as various subsequent orders of appellate courts upholding the same. Two were filed in the HC urging to ask the CBI why it had chosen not to challenge Shah’s discharge, though the agency had filed revision applications against the discharge of 2 others.