Ex-HC judge seeks revisit of orders discharging accused in Sohrabuddin case

The Bombay High Court’s Justice (retd.) Abhay Thipsay, who has sought a probe in the death of special judge B H Loya on Wednesday, refused to comment on any political pressure on the judiciary in trying the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case. He, however, thinks the orders discharging several accused in the case, including the political leaders and high-ranking police officials, need a revisit.

“I would not want to comment on any political intervention or any role of a politician (Amit Shah who is one of the accused who was discharged during Narendra Modi's tenure as chief minister of Gujarat) as such in the encounter case,” said Justice Thipsay. He heard bail applications of some of the accused during his tenure as the Bombay HC judge.

Justice Thipsay also supported the contention raised in the Supreme Court, last week seeking directions to retrieve judge Loya’s call data records (CDR).

“I do not want to comment on the death of the former judge, but to say it was unnatural would be far-fetched because I do not believe so. But Loya’s call records should be checked as it can shed light on things which are not out in the open,” said Thipsay. He claims to have re-examined the orders passed by him and other courts in this case as he was prompted to do so following the controversy surrounding the death of judge Loya. He has sought a complete revisit into the orders passed by various courts discharging at least 15 accused out of the total 38. He has also demanded a re-look in the orders granting bail to several accused.

I would not want to comment on any political intervention or any role of a politician (Amit Shah who is one of the accused who was discharged during Narendra Modi's tenure as chief minister of Gujarat) as such in the encounter case — JUSTICE THIPSAY