New Delhi, 24 January, 2012

Former minister of state for Home Shri Amit Shah has asked the Supreme Court to allow him to enter in Gujarat and stay with his family. Shah who is seekis to “enter, stay and function” in Gujarat, has been barred entry in Gujarat since October 30, 2010 due to Supreme Court direction. He seeks modification of the order which directed him to stay away from the territorial limits of Gujarat.

Shah said he is being deprived of family’s warmth and affection.

Shah also said that he is deprived of serving voters in his constituency and can not fulfill his duties as Vice President of Gujarat Cricket Association.

Shah has been elected from Ahemdabad’s Sarkhej assembly constituency for four consecutive terms. Sarkhej is one of the largest assembly areas.

He says his constituency remains unrepresented for last 16 months, because he can not stay there.

He said it was causing a serious prejudice and unwarranted hardship to him as he was out of the state for 16 months because of which his constituency, Sarkhej in Ahmedabad, from where he was elected to the state assembly for four consecutive terms remains unrepresented.

Shah’s petition says that a person who is politically active in a democratic public life cannot remain away from his constituency, electorate, voters and workers.

His petition says that living outside his home state for the last 16 months has caused “irreparable hardship” to him and his family members.

After the Supreme Court judges directed Shah to stay outside Gujarat in connection with ongoing Sohrabuddin encounter case, he stays in Delhi’s Gujarat Bhavan.

“The applicant is 47-year-old and his entire family stays in Gujarat. Given the facts and circumstances of the present case, a person in public life remaining out of his home state for 16 long months is nothing less than punishment as he is deprived of the warmth, support and cooperation of his family and close relatives,” Shah’s 11-page application says.

“He will suffer irreparable injury and hardship if an appropriate order to the effect of modification of October 30, 2010 order, is not made,” Shah’s petition mentions.

Shah was added as an accused in the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake shootout case in which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) described him as a head of extortion syndicate in Gujarat.

Gujarat is scheduled to witness general election of assembly this year in December. Shah has to be in Gujarat by middle of this year, if he wants smooth sail of his political career.

Updates on Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear Amit Shah’s plea and said that it would hear his plea along with the CBI’s petition seeking cancellation of Shah’s bail in the Sohrabuddin case.

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