Former BJP MP from Junagadh, Dinu Bogha Solanki, was the prime accused in the case, CBI said. (File)A special CBI court on Saturday convicted former BJP MP from Junagadh, Dinu Bogha Solanki, and six others for the murder of RTI activist Amit Jethwa in Ahmedabad in 2010. The quantum of punishment will be announced on July 11.
Jethva was shot dead on July 20, 2010, by two assailants outside the Gujarat High Court. Through RTI replies, the social worker had exposed the illegal mining activities in Gir forest allegedly by the former MP.
#JUSTIN: Dinu Solanki and six others found guilty by a special CBI court in A’bad,in murder of RTI activist Amit Jethwa
He was shot outside Gujarat HC in 2010 & conviction of all 7 comes as Jethwa’s father had sought a retrial
Pronouncement of sentence on July 11.@IndianExpress— Sohini Ghosh (@thanda_ghosh) July 6, 2019
Initially, the murder case was investigated by Ahmedabad Detection Crime Branch (DCB) which chargesheeted six persons — Shiva Solanki ( nephew of Dinu Solanki), Shailesh Pandya, Bahadursinh Vadher, Panchan G Desai, Sanjay Chauhan and Udaji Thakore.
After Solanki was given a clean chit by the DCB, Jethva’s father Bhikhabhai moved the High Court.
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The High Court later ordered the CBI to probe, and Solanki was arrested in 2013 from Delhi and was chargesheeted in the murder case. The CBI had accused Solanki as the main conspirator.
The trial of Amit Jethva case had witnessed several twists. Both the probes — one by the DCB and the other by the CBI — were clubbed together, and the central probe agency was asked to conduct the murder trial.
Several witnesses turned hostile after the trial into the case began. Jethva’s father moved the High Court again, seeking fresh trial on the ground that 105 witnesses out of a total of 195 turned hostile allegedly under the pressure from the BJP leader. By then, the trial had concluded.
The High Court stayed the trial and later ordered a fresh trial. The court also directed to replace the then special judge Dinesh L Patel.
