In a major development in Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case, a special CBI court in Mumbai on Friday has acquitted all 22 accused due to lack of evidence to prove murder.
A total of 22 officials of the Gujarat and Rajasthan police, were on trial for killing Sheikh, who allegedly had terror links, in an alleged fake encounter in November 2005.
His wife Kausar Bi was also killed that month and his aide Tulsiram Prajapati shot dead in another encounter by the Gujarat and Rajasthan police in December 2006.
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According to reports, the prosecution examined 210 witnesses, of which 92 turned hostile.
After the final arguments were wrapped up earlier this month, Special Judge for CBI cases SJ Sharma had said he will pronounce the verdict on December 21.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the case in 2010, had filed a case against 38 people, including then Gujarat home minister (and now BJP president Amit Shah) and senior Gujarat and Rajasthan police officials.
However, a special court in Mumbai, where the case was shifted from Gujarat following a Supreme Court order in 2013, had discharged 16 of them, including Amit Shah and senior police officers like Gujarat police chief PC Pande and anti-terror squad chief DG Vanzara.
(With agencies input)