Ishrat case: HC judge recuses self from Amin's bail petition

A judge of the Gujarat court on Thursday recused himself from hearing the bail application filed by suspended Indian Police Service officer N K Amin, arrested in Ishrat Jahan encounter case. Justice A J Desai did not give any reason for pulling out of the hearing.

Amin had on Wednesday moved the high court against the special Central Bureau of Investigation court's order refusing him bail. He has sought bail on the ground that the CBI's charge sheet was incomplete and so he be granted bail `by default'.

Bail is granted by default if the charge sheet is not filed within the stipulated period of 90 days after the arrest.

Amin was arrested on April 4. On July 3, the CBI filed the charge sheet against seven police officers including Amin, accusing them of murder and criminal conspiracy with regard to the encounter killing of 19-year-old Ishrat, Javed Sheikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Zeeshan Johar and Amjad Ali Rana on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in 2004.