Explore the key dates and events in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh alleged fake encounter case, from the initial abduction to the final court verdict.
Key Points
- Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi, and associate Tulsi Prajapati were abducted by police in November 2005.
- Shaikh was killed in an alleged fake encounter in November 2005, followed by the alleged murder of Kausar Bi.
- The CBI took over the probe in January 2010 after the Supreme Court's intervention.
- A special CBI court acquitted all 22 accused in December 2018, citing lack of evidence in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh case.
- In May 2026, the Bombay High Court upheld the acquittal of the accused in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh case, dismissing appeals filed by Shaikh's brothers.
Following is the timeline in the alleged fake encounter case of gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and associate Tulsi Prajapati:
1) November 22, 2005 - Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife and associate intercepted by a police team from a bus while they were returning to Sangli from Hyderabad. The police took the three persons in their custody. While Shaikh and his wife were taken in one vehicle, Prajapati was taken in another car.
2) November 22 to 25, 2005 - Shaikh and Kausar Bi kept in a farmhouse near Ahmedabad. Prajapati sent to Udaipur where he was lodged in a prison there to face trial in cases lodged against him.
The Alleged Fake Encounter of Sohrabuddin Shaikh
3) November 26, 2005 - Shaikh killed in an alleged fake encounter by a joint team comprising Gujarat and Rajasthan police.
4) November 29, 2005 - Kausar Bi allegedly killed by the police, who then burnt the body and disposed of it.
5) December 27, 2006 - Prajapati taken by a team comprising both Rajasthan and Gujarat police from the Udaipur central prison. Prajapati killed in an encounter near Sarhad Chapri, situated on the border of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Supreme Court Intervention and CBI Investigation
6) 2005-2006 - Shaikh's family approaches Supreme Court seeking an investigation into his encounter and also to know the whereabouts of Kausar Bi. SC directs Gujarat state CID to conduct a probe into the case.
7) April 30, 2007 - Gujarat state files a report before SC stating that Kausar Bi was also dead and her body was burnt and disposed of.
8) January 2010 - SC hands over the probe into the case to CBI.
9) July 23, 2010 - CBI files a chargesheet in the case.
Court Proceedings and Final Verdict
10) September 27, 2012 - SC transfers the trial in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh, Kausar Bi alleged fake encounter case from Gujarat to Mumbai, Maharashtra. CBI had sought the transfer to ensure a fair trial.
11) April 8, 2012 - SC clubs trial in Shaikh, Kausari Bi and Prajapati encounter cases.
12) October 2017 - Special CBI court in Mumbai frames charges against 22 accused - most of whom were police personnel from Gujarat and Rajasthan.
13) November 2017 - Special CBI Judge S J Sharma commences trial in the case. Prosecution examines 210 witnesses during the course of the trial, and 92 of them turn hostile.
14) November 23, 2018 - Court completes examination of witnesses and recording of statements of the accused persons under section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
15) December 5, 2018 - Final arguments by prosecution and defence lawyers complete. Court closes the case for judgment on December 21, 2018.
16) December 21, 2018 - Special CBI court acquits all 22 accused in the case, citing lack of evidence.
Appeals and Final Dismissal
17) January 2019 - Shaikh's family writes to CBI requesting to file an appeal against the acquittal.
18) April 2019 - Sohrabuddin Shaikh's brothers, Rubabuddin and Nayabuddin Shaikh, file an appeal in the Bombay High Court against the acquittal.
19) June 2019- HC admits appeal filed by brothers.
20) October 2025- CBI tells HC it has accepted the special court judgment and won't be filing any appeal.
21) January 16, 2026 - HC reserves judgment on the appeals filed by the brothers.
22) May 7, 2026 - Bombay HC dismisses appeals filed by Shaikh's brothers and upholds the acquittal of the 22 accused.
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