‘Modi cannot declare an accused to be innocent’

CBI lawyer KTS Tulsi tells KUNAL MAJUMDER that the Gujarat Chief Minister is interfering in the Sohrabuddin case.

Earlier, you were representing Gujarat. Now you are on the other side. Isn’t it unethical?

I’m not on the other side. Earlier, I was appearing for the investigating agency [SIT], which had come to the conclusion that it was a fake encounter. Now also I’m appearing for the State, that is the CBI.

Were you aware of the complicity of people like Amit Shah?

No. At that time, the murder was stage-managed by certain police officers of Gujarat and Rajasthan. And then, suddenly I find on television the chief minister [of Gujarat] making a public speech and asking the people, ‘What should we do to a terrorist like Sohrabuddin, do you think we should garland him?’ And the crowd shouting back: ‘Kill, kill’.

Do you believe that Narendra Modi still owes an explanation to the country on the statement he made?

I think the chief minister is continuing to interfere with the judicial process. I don’t think it is correct for the CM to give a certificate of innocence to any accused from a public platform.

The CBI petition to the Supreme Court says that senior CID officers like Geetha Johri were forced to change track. But during the hearing on 3 March 2007, you had submitted to the Supreme Court that Johri was not removed from the investigation with an ulterior motive. Isn’t this contradictory?

Those revelations have come to light now. At that time, no one knew that her husband was involved in some case. Neither did we know that that factor is going to influence the investigation. But I always believed that she is a very fine officer. In fact, she was the person who cracked the case.