Former BJP MP Dinu Solanki gets life term for murder of RTI activist Amit Jethwa

New Delhi: Ex-BJP MP Dinu Solanki along with six others were sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering an RTI activist Amit Jethwa in July 2010, news agency ANI reported.

A special CBI court found all the accused guilty under the charges of murder, causing disappearance of evidence of offence, criminal conspiracy to commit an offence and illegal possession of weapons.

Jethwa was shot dead on July 20, 2010 by two assailants outside the Gujarat High Court as he was exposing illegal mining activities in Gir Forest. Solanki was accused of carrying such illegal activities.

After firing the bullets, the assailant fled leaving behind their two-wheeler and a country-made revolver.

Solanki, who was then an MP from Junagadh, was not named in the two chargesheets filed against the accused. Solanki was given a clean chit to Dinu Solanki.

Jethwa’s father Bhikhabhai’s demand seeking an investigation by an independent body was rejected.

Bhikhabhai hailed the judgement and told reprters, “The judgment today is a victory for us, the judiciary, the Constitution and makes us believe in the judicial system and that goons can be defeated.”

When Solanki was arrested in 2013, he was a sitting Member of Parliament. He was charge-sheeted in the murder case. The CBI had accused him as the main conspirator.