New Delhi: The CBI's plan to nail former Gujarat minister Amit Shah in the alleged staged encounter killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh partly rests on video recordings secretly prepared by two Ahmedabad-based builder brothers -- Raman Patel and Dashrath Patel -- of their conversation with the politician's associates.

The Patels recorded their conversation with Yashpal Chudasama and Ajay Patel, Shah’s associates, in March and April this year after the CBI took over the investigation into the murders of Sohrabuddin and his wife Kauser Bi in November 2005. The conversation in Gujarati between the four men in the video recordings accessed by CNN-IBN suggests that Shah's associates were desperate to get him off the hook.

The Patels had allegedly been used to frame Sohrabuddin, but when the CBI investigation started picking up they recorded their conversation with Yashpal Chudasama and Ajay Patel to protect themselves.

A conversation between the four at the ADC Bank in Ahmedabad on March 3 allegedly reveals that Chudasama was worried about CBI trying to win over witnesses against Shah.

"Their (CBI) main aim is to nail Amit Shah -- that's what they want. So they are wanting to make those in jail witnesses against him. For the moment, they are trying to win over G L Singhal and Abhay Chudasama. Earlier, they took Mahendrasinh into confidence," says Chudasama.

Dashrath Patel is heard saying: "Is it true that the marble lobby gave a supari (contract) to kill Sohrabuddin? Did that come out during CID investigations?"

Chudasama then says: "There's a difference in the way the CID and the CBI functions. For the CBI, the final target is already fixed and then they go about investigating. All those whose role is found in the process, get picked up." (CID in this case is Gujarat's Criminal Investigation Department which conducted its owninvestigation into Sohrabuddin and Kauser Bi's deaths.)

“What is Amit saheb now saying?” Dashrath Patel asks.

“He is aware of what all is happening. He wants you to be ready," replies Yashpal Chudasama.

The conversation also allegedly details Shah's links with D G Vanzara, who was Gujarat ATS chief in 2005 and is currently in prison in connection with Sohrabuddin and Kauser Bi’s deaths.

“These fellows (Gujarat Police) have done some of the most crazy things. Look at Vanzara. He took her (Kauser Bi’s body) to the village and burnt it," says Chudasama.

Raman Patel refers to an argument with Vanzara during the conversation and asks: “What should we do now? Amit Shah is Home Minister. He knows best what should be done.”

“Vanzara troubled us a lot. In the firing case -- we were taken to ATS, then Sarkhej, then Navrangpura,” says Dashrath Patel.

But Ajay Patel asks the brothers to leave Vanzara alone. “Remember, there is no point in holding a grudge against him. Leave that issue now. Consider it over,” he says.

But Dashrath Patel insists on his complaints against Vanzara. “We were treated like terrorists. The area was cordoned off. All this after he took Rs 60 lakh from us,” says Dashrath Patel.

Raman Patel then suggests they consult Amit Shah --“saheb”. “We will do as saheb says. He knows what is best. The CBI people are strange creatures,” says Raman Patel.

By April the CBI began arresting more police officers in connection with the fake encounter and Shah and his associates were worried than ever before. A conversation recorded at the Jumboking Restaurant in Ahmedabad on April 10th between the same four persons confirms this. Here, the Patel brothers are warned not to reveal Amit Shah's name in the Sohrabuddin case at any stage.

Ajay Patel drops a hint when he speaks to the brothers. “Amit Shah asked me where are the two brothers. I told him I'll check. He then asked me if someone had taken them away. He has to keep a tab on people. The CBI has asked people about Amit Shah,” says Ajay Patel.

Chudasama tells the brothers: “They (CBI) might ask about Amit Shah and others. What is the problem in giving a statement that he (Shah) is not involved? That none of you are involved. It's for our own safety."

The most important recording that the Patel brothers did was with Abhay Chudasama, the IPS officer who is now in jail for his alleged involvement in the fake encounter. This recording was done when the Patel brothers met Abhay and Ajay at the Rifle Club in Ahmedabad on March 3 before the IPS officer was arrested.

The brothers ask the Chudasamas what are they to do if the CBI questions them. “They (CBI) will call you and tell you: did you give supari to Sohrabuddin? They do not have any concrete leads yet and are probing various angles,” says Abhay Chudasama.

“You just say: there was a firing incident at our office. We are the complainants and we had been arrested instead. We are now on bail and beyond that we do not know anything. We had no connection earlier too and not now,” he says. “Our logic is that they will call you and ask you whether you gave Rs one crore to Chudasama whether you gave money to the government.”

Dashrath Patel then denies giving money to kill Sohrabuddin and says the marble lobby did that.

Abhay Chudasama warns the Patels not to say anything like that. “Where did you get to know this (about the marble lobby) from? When they ask such questions, just say you don't know anything. Be precise and to the point.”

Dashrath Patel wants to know when will the CBI question him.

“Anytime. They will come to your house. Anything can happen. Be mentally prepared. Answer questions quickly and without hesitation,” says Abhay Chudasama.

The Patel brothers had allegedly used Sohrabuddin to threaten their business rivals -- this was their weak spot and the CBI could use them to nail Shah. The politician's associates knew this but what they didn’t know was that the Patels had done a “sting operation” to protect themselves after FIRs were lodged against them.

The brothers' “sting videos” is now with the CBI and they raise important questions. Why did Abhay Chudasama ask the brothers to hide the truth in the Sohrabuddin case? Why were Amit Shah's associates desperate to keep him out of the investigation? Are the claims of money changing hands made on tape true? And can a sting done by persons who themselves have several cases against them become a key piece of evidence?

These are questions for which the CBI will have to provide answers in the weeks ahead.

Raman Patel and Dashrath Patel are promoters of Ahmedabad based Popular Builders. Both have a controversial past and have several cases pending against them in Ahmedabad. In December 2004, there was a gun attack at Popular Builders' office. Tulsiram Prajapati, an aide of Sohrabuddin, was allegedly involved in it. The CBI charge-sheet says this incident was stage managed by Amit Shah and some police officers. This was done to register a fresh case against Sohrabuddin before he could be eliminated. The Patel brothers told CBI that Amit Shah informed them that Sohrabuddin had run out of options to live.

He is chairman of Ahmedabad District Co-operative bank, a close aide of Amit Shah and he been named as an accused in the CBI charge-sheet. He is also chairman of the Gujarat State Cooperative Bank and Director of Madhavpura Mercantile Cooperative Bank.

He is the director of the Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank and a cousin of IPS officer Abhay Chudasama, who has been arrested by CBI for his alleged involvement in the fake encounter.

Abhay Chudasama is a former head the Crime Branch in Ahmedabad and currently under arrest for his alleged involvement in the encounter. The CBI alleges that he carried out an extensive extortion racket with Sohrabuddin as his henchman.