Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant issued a notice on Monday to re‑examine the May 7, 2024 acquittal of 22 accused, including 21 police officers, in the 2005 Sohrabuddin encounter case. The court will focus on select witness statements that could reveal procedural flaws.
The Sohrabuddin incident involved Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and aide Tulsiram Prajapati, who were allegedly taken into custody on the night of November 22‑23, 2005. The trio was supposedly killed in separate police encounters, with Sohrabuddin dying near Ahmedabad on November 26, 2005, Kausar Bi three days later, and Prajapati in December 2006.
In 2018, a Special CBI court in Mumbai acquitted all 22 accused, a verdict upheld by the Bombay High Court on May 7, 2024. The High Court’s decision was challenged by Sohrabuddin’s brother, Nayabuddin Shaikh, who argued that 92 prosecution witnesses had turned hostile, raising questions about trial fairness.
Justice Bagchi highlighted the significance of hostile witnesses, noting that their shift could undermine the integrity of the proceedings. The bench has requested only a few critical statements, avoiding a full record review, to streamline the inquiry.
The next step will be the Supreme Court’s determination on whether to reverse the High Court’s ruling. Once the bench concludes its review, the case may proceed to a final judgment, potentially reopening the investigation into the alleged encounters.