The special CBI court here has framed charges against former BJP MP Dinu Solanki and six others in RTI activist Amit Jethwa murder case.
Solanki and other accused were present in the court of judge B L Patel yesterday as the charges under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and other relevant sections were framed.
The accused also include Dinu Solanki's nephew Shiva Solanki and sharpshooter Sailesh Pandya who allegedly shot Jethwa.
Though CBI had filed the charge-sheet against the accused in December 2013, there was a delay in framing of charges as the former MP had moved the court for discharge.
Jethwa was shot dead outside the Gujarat High Court premises on July 20, 2010, allegedly at the behest of Solanki, then an MP, for exposing his illegal mining activities through numerous RTI applications.
Jethwa had filed a PIL in the High Court against illegal mining in Gir forest region, the habitat of Asiatic lions.
The High Court asked CBI to re-investigate the murder after Jethwa's father Bhikabhai Jethwa approached the court expressing dissatisfaction over the police probe.
The police had filed a charge-sheet against six persons but gave a clean chit to Solanki, then the Junagadh MP.
CBI, however, found that he was involved in the conspiracy.
Solanki's appeal against lower court's order refusing him discharge from the case is pending before the High Court.
The Supreme Court had asked the trial court to proceed with framing of charges after Solanki and other accused moved the apex court for bail. The SC granted bail to Solanki.
Except for Pandya, all other accused are out on bail.
