The Bombay High Court on Monday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to specify the measures that it was taking to protect witnesses in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh alleged fake encounter case, PTI reported. The court questioned the investigating agency after several of the witnesses turned hostile.

“What protection are you providing to witnesses,” Justice Revati Mohite-Dere asked the investigating agency. “Some of them have turned hostile. Is this the seriousness with which CBI is conducting the trial?”

The court was hearing petitions filed by Sohrabuddin’s brother Rubabuddin, who is contesting the release of former deputy inspector-general of Gujarat D G Vanzara, Rajasthan Indian Police Service officer Dinesh M N, and Gujarat IPS officer Rajkumar Pandiyan. The CBI had also filed two petitions challenging the discharge of Dalpat Singh Rathod, a constable with the Rajasthan police and NK Amin who was with the Gujarat Police.

On January 25, media reports had said that 27 of the 40 prosecution witnesses in the case have turned hostile over the past two months. On November 29, 2017, the special Central Bureau of Investigation court had barred the media from covering the trial proceedings, but the Bombay High Court struck down this order on January 24.