By our correspondent, New Delhi, 15 May 2013

Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, national BJP President Rajnath Singh and Rajasthan’s former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje addressed a joint press conference today on the issue of CBI’s supplementary chargesheet filed against former Rajasthan home minister, and present leader of opposition in Rajasthan assemly Shri Gulabchand Kataria.

The three leaders through holding a special press conference exclusively on this issue, demonstrated party’s full support to Gulabchand Kataria and Amit Shah in their legal and political battle.

Addressing a press conference Shri Jaitley said that in Sohrabuddin encounter case, the CBI first fabricated a story involving two builders in Ahmedabad and described that story as a cause of encounter. But as the court didn’t accept that story, the CBI has now come out with another story claiming involvement of Rajasthan’s marble industry and Kataria.

“Amit Shah, who was made accused of murder in this encounter case got bail in lower court, High court and Supreme Court. An accused of attempt to murder case would face difficulty to get bail, but Shah was released on bail in murder case, because there was no evidence, and the case was fabricated. The court didn’t buy CBI’s story because the person who was described as mediator who gave money was actually traveling out of the country on said day, and it was revealed by his passport details. It was such a shoddy investigation by CBI.”

“And therefore, as the court didn’t understand that builder version, now CBI has changed the conspiracy case. A lie may have many versions, but truth only has one version. CBI has now forgot that builder case and has fabricated a new case, that Rajasthan’s former Home Minister Gulabchand Katariya who is leader of opposition conspired with Amit Shah on marble lobby’s instance. CBI has now changed the case on this line, and this is complete lie. Falsehood is apparent in the cahrgesheet they have filed.”

“They fabricated a new case in Tulsi Prajapati case and filed charge sheet, but Supreme Court didn’t accept it. Why they were doing all this without evidence? In which style the CBI is operating?”

“I will read a line from a document in connection with Sohrabuddin case. CBI officials on 14 April 2010 sought permission to arrest Amit Shah and cop Abhay Chudasama. Senior officials (of Government of Gujarat) told CBI that there was no evidence against Amit Shah and denied permission. They(CBI) wrote again and sought permission and said that it was unavoidable, but they didn’t mention any more evidence. They arrested Shah and what was their logic? In a letter CBI had mentioned a line: “Request to reffer again to annexture A,B and C, in the arrest proposal of 14th April 2010, underlining the importance of annexture C for its potential in respect of the Chief Minister also.”

“Should this CBI be permitted to probe and arrest Amit Shah on the basis that the path CBI wanted to try was about reaching someone else? This is real face of CBI, and on the basis of this, Shah was arrested for the first time. And (then) the Court said there was no evidence!”

“So, CBI changed earlier story in Sohrabuddin case, and marble builders were brought in. How this also is lie? We will tell you in next episode.”

“In Railway board member appointment case, there’s 100 times more evidence, and while investigation is on, the CBI Director says there’s no evidence. The country has to think about the questions marks against professionalism of CBI.”

Speaking at a press conference, Rajasthan’s former CM Vasundhara Raje said that party’s top leadership will extend total legal and political support to Shri Kataria in this case. She said Rajasthan unit of BJP is strongly standing with Gulabji in tune with the central team of party. Whatever is happening is politically motivated.

Official release

Media has carried reports that the CBI has filed a supplementary charge sheet charging, amongst others, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, Leader of Opposition, Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha and former Home Minister, Government of Rajasthan as a conspirator in the alleged encounter of Sohrabuddin. The CBI had earlier charge-sheeted Shri Amit Shah, former Home Minister, Government of Gujarat in the same case.

The CBI charge sheet against Shri Gulab Chand Kataria is without any basis. Shri Kataria, besides being a senior leader of the Party, is known for his propriety and credibility. There is not a shred of truthful evidence against him. This case is being pursued by the CBI with the intention of implicating senior BJP leaders, at the behest of the Congress party. The CBI had earlier charge-sheeted Shri Amit Shah. A lot of prejudicial material was released to the media. The Party had maintained that the case was concocted and without any basis. When the matter was argued in court it turned out to be a case of negligible or no evidence. The bail granted to Shri Amit Shah by the Trial court was confirmed right till the Supreme Court. It appears from the media reports that the fictional story of conspiracy against Shri Amit Shah which had been created did not hold together, a new fictional story has now been concocted as to how the two then Home Ministers got the encounter engineered at the behest of some marble traders. It appears that the CBI’s case of conspiracy has more than one version. Fortunately, truth can have only one version.

It may be recalled that an effort was also made to implicate senior party leader and former minister in Rajasthan, Shri Rajender Rathore in another case of alleged encounter. That also turned out to be a case of negligible or no evidence and Shri Rathore was granted bail.

The Bharatiya Janata Party rejects all charges against Shri Gulab Chand Kataria. The Party fully stands behind him. We shall expose these attempts both legally and politically.