AHMEDABAD: A special CBI court on Wednesday ordered security cover for five witnesses in the RTI activist Amit Jethava murder case.
Seven persons including ex-MP of BJP from Junagadh, Dinu Bogha Solanki, were held guilty and punished with life imprisonment last week in the case.
On July 6, when the CBI court recorded conviction, witnesses requested the court to grant protection to them. However, Jethava’s father, Bhikhalal, refused to avail the security cover and told the court that he is 86 years old now, and didn’t need protection.
Among those the special judge K M Dave has ordered to provide security is key witness in the case, Rama Haja Solanki, whose statement recorded by a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC proved a vital piece of evidence in the case. Rama was a driver with Solanki earlier, but late fell apart with him.
The security cover has been provided to witnesses initially from one month to six months. The CBI will review threat perception and the decision to extend time for the protection will be taken thereafter.

One of the witnesses provided with the security cover had turned hostile during the hearing. There were 105 witnesses who turned hostile out of 195 witnesses in the case.
During the hearing, some of the witnesses including Jethava’s father Bhikhalal had raised the issue of pressure on witnesses from Solanki. When the complaint regarding witnesses turning hostile was made before the Gujarat high court, it had ordered a re-trial in the case in 2017.