The CBI today admitted before the Gujarat High Court that as many as 105 of the 195 witnesses in RTI activist Amit Jethwa's murder case have turned hostile.
It also said five of them had complained of intimidation by former BJP MP Dinu Bogha Solanki, who is a key accused in the case.
The CBI submitted these information in its affidavit before the Gujarat High Court in response to a witness recall plea filed by Jethwa's father Bikhabhai last month.
Apart from these witnesses, at least seven eyewitnesses of the alleged murder of Jethwa also turned hostile during the trial of the case in the special CBI court here.
After taking the affidavit on record, Justice J B Pardiwala sought more details about these witnesses from the CBI and asked the agency to submit related documents by April 12, when further hearing would take place.
As the High Court had already stayed the trial in the special CBI Court last month after admitting Bhikhabhai's plea, Pardiwala today extended the stay till April 12.
On that day, the High Court is also expected to hear arguments to decide whether the witnesses can be recalled at this stage, as the CBI court was on the verge of pronouncing its verdict.
Former BJP MP Dinu Bogha Solanki and his nephew Shiva Solanki are the main accused in this case. Both of them are out on bail.
In his plea filed last month, Jethwa's father had alleged the witnesses had turned hostile because of the threats by Dinu Solanki and Shiva Solanki.
He had alleged that Gujarat police and CBI were "not serious at the ground level in ensuring protection of witnesses and completing investigation into witnesses being threatened, coerced and pressurized by ex-BJP MP Dinu Bogha Solanki".
Jethwa, an RTI activist was shot dead outside the Gujarat High Court on July 20, 2010, allegedly at the behest of then MP Solanki for exposing illegal mining through numerous RTI applications.
Jethwa had filed a PIL in the High Court against illegal mining in Gir forest, the habitat of Asiatic lions.
The High Court had asked the CBI to re-investigate the murder after Jethwa's father approached the court expressing his dissatisfaction over the investigation by Gujarat police.
In May last year, charges were framed in the special CBI court against Solanki and six others.
Solanki and other accused were charged under sections 302 (murder) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC among others.
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