RAJKOT: BJP on Monday announced Shiva Solanki's name, one of the accused in murder of RTI activist Amit Jethava, as the president of Kodinar Municipality in Gir-Somnath district.

Slain RTI activist Amit Jethava's murder accused Shiva Solanki, had contested the municipal polls in 2013 as a BJP candidate from jail. He had emerged victorious from jail. Shiva Solanki, a nephew of former BJP MP from Junagadh Dinu Solanki, who is also accused in Jethava murder case, had filed his nomination from ward number nine in Kodinar municipality and campaigned while being lodged in jail.

BJP had made a clean sweep of Kodinar municipality by winning all the 27 seats. This was BJP's third consecutive win in the municipal polls.

Jethava was shot dead near Gujarat high court (HC) in July 2010. Ahmedabad Crime Branch had arrested six persons in the case, including Shiva and sharp shooter Sailesh Pandya, who had allegedly fired at Jethava. Jethava had filed several petitions in the HC against the forest department along with public interest litigations (PIL) on illegal mining in Gir forests of Junagadh district, which is considered the last abode of Asiatic lions in the world.

Jethava's father Bikha Jethava approached the HC stating that the police had not conducted any investigation in the alleged involvement of Solanki in the murder. In September 2012, the HC had ordered CBI probe in the case.

Shiva was the president of Kodinar municipality before he was arrested. A special CBI court granted bail to Shiva Solanki last year. The CBI court had granted bail to Solanki at furnishing bail bond of Rs 5 lakh, along with other routine conditions imposed on him. He was arrested in 2010 by the city crime branch, which filed a chargesheet against him and five others.