Indian PM's aide Amit Shah cleared of three murder charges

One of Nahrendra Modi's closest aides acquitted due to lack of evidence

Amit Shah (EPA)

The president of India’s ruling party has been cleared of three murder charges by a Mumbai court.

Amit Shah, a close aide to the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, was cleared of ordering the killings of a criminal, Sohrabuddin Sheikh, his wife and his friend, when he was a minister under Mr Modi in the state of Gujurat.

The trial had undermined the government’s attempts to herald in a new era of clean politics.

Mr Shah’s lawyer, Mitesh Amin, said that his client was acquitted due to a lack of evidence.

In July this year, before the trial had begun, Mr Shah was promoted to the presidency of the Bharatiya Janata Party after helping lead the party to the country’s biggest election victory since 1984.

AP