Dinu Solanki’s bail was cancelled by the SC last week. Dinu Solanki’s bail was cancelled by the SC last week.

Dinu Bogha Solanki, the former BJP MP from Junagadh, on Monday surrendered before a special CBI court, four days after his bail was cancelled by the Supreme Court. Solanki, a prominent BJP leader and active in poll campaigns, is a key accused in RTI activist Amit Jethva murder case and is likely to remain in jail till December.

Solanki appeared before the special CBI court in the evening from where he was sent to Sabarmati Central Jail. Last week, the apex court had ordered to cancel his bail till the examination of eight key eyewitnesses. After the eyewitnesses’ examination Solanki will be released, but will have to remain outside Gujarat till the trial is over as per the condition put by the apex court.

In the meanwhile, Jethva’s father Bhikhabhai moved a petition in the Supreme Court against Solanki and the CBI for contempt of court. The petition is likely to be heard on Friday. The petitioner has said that CBI, the investigating agency, didn’t arrest Solanki even after the lapse of 48 hours as ordered by the court.

Solanki was supposed to surrender within 48 hours of the Supreme Court passing the order on October 30.

The apex court’s order had come on a petition moved by Solanki who had challenged the Gujarat High Court’s order for a fresh trial in the murder case since half of the witnesses had turned hostile amidst allegations that many of them were threatened by the BJP leader.

While setting aside the order for a fresh trial, the Supreme Court allowed re-examination of 26 witnesses of the murder case as contended by the CBI.

Jethva, who had tried to expose illegal mining in and around Gir forest sanctuary through RTIs and PILs, was shot in broad daylight outside Gujarat High Court in July 2010.

The CBI, which took over the investigation following the High Court order, chargesheeted Solanki, who represented Junagadh constituency in Lok Sabha back in 2013. Six others, including Solanki’s nephew Shiva Solanki and sharpshooter Sailesh Pandya, were also chargesheeted. The special CBI court concluded the trial and was on verge of pronouncing the judgment when the High Court ordered fresh trial.

Jethva’s father had moved the court for a fresh trial citing threats to witnesses.

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