Ahmedabad, Sep 22 : Rubabuddin, the brother of Sohrabuddin Sheikh who was killed in a fake encounter, on Tuesday filed an application before a local court accusing former Gujarat minister Amit Shah of coercing witnesses in the case from jail.
In the application filed through the CBI, Rubabuddin also claimed that an affidavit by his younger brother Nayamuddin, alleging that CBI had altered his statement, was done under pressure.
"If the accused (Shah), though in judicial custody, is in a position to influence the witnesses in this manner, he would be able to destroy the evidence in the case he is set free on bail," Rubabuddin said.
Urging the court not to grant bail to Shah, he further said that if he was granted bail more witnesses of the case were likely to fall apart and retract statements.
Rubabuddin further alleged that Shah has been "directly interfering and influencing the witnesses in this case to the extent of coercing them to retract the statement".
The application has been moved a day before the special CBI court is scheduled to hear Shah's bail petition.
Last week, Sohrabuddin's youngest brother Nayamuddin had sent an affidavit to the CBI court through post alleging that a portion of his statements against one of the accused in the case Abhay Chudasama, was added by the central investigating agency.
Nayamuddin said he had filed the affidavit because it was his duty to see that an innocent is not convicted due to the false statement.
Rubabuddin and Nayamuddin had earlier this year made a statement before CBI that Shah through Chudasama had offered them Rs 50 lakh to withdraw petition from the Supreme Court, and when the offer was declined they were threatened to be liquidated. PTI
