New Delhi, Sep 27 (IANS): Stating that he was not guilty, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday expressed happiness that the Supreme Court had allowed former Gujarat minister Amit Shah, accused in the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh shootout case, to return to the state.

"We are happy that he is allowed to enter Gujarat and will campaign for the state assembly elections. We believe and have firm faith in our leader that he is not guilty," said BJP leader Prakash Javedekar.

The Supreme Court Thursday dismissed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plea against bail forShah, former Gujarat minister for state of home. Lifting its order restraining Shah from entering the state, the court also shifted the Sohrabuddin case to Mumbai.

The investigating agency had said the killing of Sohrabuddin and his wife Kausar Bi and that of Tulsiram Prajapati were a part of the same conspiracy. Sohrabuddin was killed by Gujarat Police Nov 25, 2005, in a staged shootout. Two days later, Kausar Bi was killed. Prajapati, his aide, was killed Dec 28, 2006.

Shah was in the Gujarat cabinet at the time.