‘Probe into Loya’s death doesn’t inspire confidence’

NEW DELHI: An investigation by the Maharashtra state intelligence department into the death of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special judge BH Loya does not inspire confidence, senior advocate V Giri, appearing for social activist Tehseem Poonawala, said in the Supreme Court on Monday while asking for an independent probe into the case. Questioning a report prepared by the state intelligence department, Giri submitted to the court: “The discreet inquiry report was concluded in a hurry in a matter of five days without conducting any independent investigation”.

A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra is hearing petitions demanding an independent probe into judge Loya’s death.

“Despite permission from the chief justice of Bombay high court allowing the state intelligence to record statements of the judicial officers who were with judge Loya at the time of his death, the intelligence chief did nothing to record their statements or verify the veracity of their statement,” Giri argued.

Tempers ran high in the courtroom during the hearing, with senior advocate Dushyant Dave sparring with Pallav Shishodia, another senior advocate. Shishodia, appearing for a journalist who was initially seeking an independent probe, pleaded that they were satisfied with the state intelligence inquiry.

Dave, who was appearing for an association of advocates from Mumbai, alleged that this was an attempt to scuttle the petition seeking an independent probe in the case.

Justice DY Chandrachud intervened, saying the exchange between the two advocates had degenerated to bickering. At the time of his death — of a heart attack in Nagpur in December 2014 — judge Loya was presiding over a special CBI court in Mumbai that was hearing a case about the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter by the Gujarat police.