The hearing on the bail plea of former Gujarat minister Amit Shah, arrested in connection with the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, was adjourned till August 17 by a special CBI court here today.

When the matter came up for hearing in the court of CBI Judge G K Upadhyay, Shah's lawyer Mitesh Amin requested adjournment in the matter saying that their senior counsel Ram Jethmalani was unable to be present.

Amin said that he had informed the central investigation agency about the matter in advance and it did not raise any objection in this regard following which it was adjourned till August 17.

However, Mukul Sinha, lawyer of Sohrabuddin's brother Rubabuddin, who wants to become a party in the case and was opposing the bail of Shah, raised a few objections.

Sinha submitted before the court that Shah's lawyers have not filed reply to the notice which was issued to them on his application of becoming a party in the case last week.

He asked why his right of being heard as an affected party curtailed if the senior lawyers of the accused are not able to remain present.

Based on his submission the court directed Shah's lawyers to reply to his application by August 13.

In his bail application filed on July 26, a day after his arrest, Shah had said that the Congress party played "a very vital role in the Sohrabuddin encounter case to make it a political issue and to utilise the same as an instrument to politically victimise him."

Negating all the charges against him as false and fabricated, the former minister of state for home and close aide of Chief Minister Narendra Modi said the manner in which CBI carried the investigation in the case, substantiated his apprehension that is was "merely a political game plan of the Central Government".

"(Central government) was never interested in investigation of the offense (Sohrab case) per se, but was only interested in targeting the ruling party in Gujarat which the Congress is unable to defeat in a democratic way", Shah's bail plea stated.

"CBI has acted as a political wing of the Congress party against the applicant (Shah) rather than focusing on investigation in the killing of Sohrabuddin and Kausarbi," the plea further added.

Shah also stated that his arrest was part of a "well-designed attempt" by the Central government through CBI to inflict a political blow upon his government which has been elected democratically.