A former police officer N K Amin, an accused in Sohrabuddin fake encounter case, today turned approver and moved a court, in a shot in the arm for CBI that could spell more trouble for Gujarat's jailed former minister and key accused Amit Shah.

Shah, a former minister of state for home arrested yesterday after remaining elusive for four days, also moved the court for bail claiming innocence.

But Shah, who was yesterday sent to judicial custody till August 7, will remain behind bars since the bail hearing will come up only on August 2. Eminent criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani is appearing for Shah.

Amin, a former ex-deputy superintendent of police, also sought pardon while offering to become approver. Notice was issued to CBI on Amin's application and Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate A I Raval posted hearig in this matter tomorrow. Amin also pleaded that he be shifted out of Sabarmati jail citing thret to his life.

In another development, Raval granted CBI permission to interrogate Shah in Sabarmati Jail between July 28 and 30 in connection with the case but only after providing the BJP leader a copy of the probe agency's chargesheet.

Murder most foul

The jail authorities were also directed that the interrogation should be both audio and video recorded.

"We have filed bail application (of Amit Shah) in the special court," Shah's lawyer Nirupam Nanavati said.

"In the application we have said that he is innocent," he said.

The bail application was filed in the court of special CBI Judge G K Upadhaya for which final hearing will be held on August 2, said Nanavati.

Nanavati said till date they have not received a copy of charge sheet and have asked the court to provide it.

Shah, Amin and other 13 accused faced charges of criminal conspiracy, murder, kidnapping and extortion in connection with the killing of alleged gangster Sohrabuddin Sheikh in a fake encounter near here on November 26, 2005 and killing of his wife three days later.

Gujarat government spokesman Jaynarayan Vyas declined to discuss the fallout of Amin's decision, saying the judicial process will take its own course.

Amin, who is in jail, was assistant commissioner of police (ACP) city crime branch before being arrested in 2007 based on the statement of a witness involved in the operation of abducting alleged gangster Sohrabuddin and his wife Kausar bi.

Another lawyer Rajesh Modi, who is representing Amin, said there was threat to his client's life from the other accused in the case.

"There is a threat to Amin's life from the other accused as all are lodged together in the Sabarmati Central jail here. So we have decided to move an application for jail transfer for Amin," Modi said.

Two retired IPS officers, who had at one point of time headed probe into the fake encounter case while they were chiefs of state CID, have been meanwhile summoned by the CBI.

GC Raigar and OP Mathur, who have already been questioned earlier by the CBI in connection with the case, have been called for further questioning, sources in the CBI said. Raigar has deposed before the CBI.