Ahmedabad: The owners of Popular Builders
paid Rs 70 lakh to former Gujarat minister of state for
home Amit Shah to avoid being booked under Prevention of Anti-
Social Activities Act, said the chargesheet filed by CBI in
Sohrabuddin fake encounter killing case.
In December 2004, Gujarat police had stage managed a
shoot-out at the office of Popular Builders owned by Raman
Patel and Dashrat Patel, using close aides of Sohrabuddin with
the purpose of lodging FIR against Sohrabuddin in Gujarat, the
chargesheet said.
The firing was done under the pretext of a dispute
between one Manilal Goshar and the Patel brothers, it added.
The chargesheet says that after Sohrabuddin was killed on
November 26, 2005, the Patel brothers were arrested by another
accused in the case D G Vanzara, then DIG ATS, at the instance
of Shah.
"Rs 60 lakh was extorted from them (Patel brothers) by
Vanzara by threatening them and their family with dire
consequences," the chargesheet said.
"Further, Amit Shah caused threats of preventive
detention under the Prevention of Anti Social Activities Act
(PASA) and demanded Rs 90 lakh from the two brothers through
his close associate Ajay Patel (an absconding accused) who is
the Chairman of ADC bank," it said.
"In the bargain, the Patel brothers paid Rs 70 lakh in
three instalments to Shah through Patel in May 2006," it
added.
PTI
