The Central Bureau of Investigation had charged the former minister with killing Sohrabudin Sheikh in a fake encounter and also alleged he was involved in a major extortion racket, which included some senior Gujarat police officers.

Shah had approached the CBI court for bail but it was rejected and he was arrested on July 25. On October 11, he had filed a petition challenging that order in the Gujarat High Court. The court, while granting him bail, asked the former Home minister to present himself before the agency once every month. His counsel, Nirumpam Nanavaty, had alleged that Shah had been falsely implicated in the case.

On Friday, the BJP claimed that its stand has been vindicated. “We have always believed that it was a political case against Amit Shah,” said BJP spokesperson Vijay Rupani, adding that the party has always maintained the whole case being a political vendetta against the BJP and that Shah was indeed innocent.

Meanwhile, a stunned CBI is now planning to challenge the order in the Supreme Court. What is worrying for the probe agency is that the order could be used as a benchmark by other accused in the case, including a dozen police officers, to appeal for bail.