Jethava murder: CBI gets nod to quiz suspended cop with Solanki

CBI’s plea was opposed by Vadher’s counsel on the grounds that he was already interrogated by the agency even during police custody remand. They also argued that CBI had been investigating the case for more than one year and yet they wanted to interrogate him.

Vadher,a suspended police constable,is one of the seven persons facing the murder charge in the case,including Solanki.

He has been lodged in a Gondal jail and was produced in a court in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. The CBI court has ordered to keep him inside Sabarmati Central Jail till November 30 so that CBI could interrogate him there,along with Solanki. A CBI magisterial court,meanwhile,also allowed CBI the permission to interrogate Solanki in judicial custody till November 30.

Jethava was shot dead outside the High Court building on July 20,2010 by two unidentified persons,days after he moved a public interest litigation (PIL) against illegal mining in Junagadh. Jethava had directly held Solanki responsible for the illegal work and following his PIL,High Court had made Solanki and his nephew,Pratap alias Shiva,as respondents to the petition. Pratap is also an accused in the case.

The case was being investigated by Ahmedabad City Detection of Crime Branch. However,the investigation was transferred to CBI by the Gujarat High Court,following a petition by Jethava’s father wherein he alleged that the investigation was being done in a perfunctory manner.