Palghar lynching: SC seeks response from Maha, Centre
nNEWDELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday sought responses of the Centre and Maharashtra government to separate petitions seeking a probe by central agencies into the April 16 lynching of three people, including two Sadhus, in Palghar while questioning the state police’s conduct and alleging bias in their investigations.
The kin of the two and six members of Panch Dashnam Juna Akhara, whom the sadhus were affiliated to, have sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the killings. One Ghanshyam Upadhyay has filed a separate plea seeing a National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation. The petitions were tagged with that of lawyer Shashak Shekhar Jha, who moved the court in April seeking a CBI or judicial probe into the incident. “Issue notice returnable in the second week of July 2020,” a justice Ashok Bhushan-led bench said. The bench, also comprising justices M R Shah and V Ramasubramanian, posted these matters for further hearing in the second week of July.
A mob of villagers lynched Kalpavruksha Giri, Sushil Giri, and their driver, Neelesh Telgade. The crowd suspected them of being child-lifters, dragged them out, and beat them with sticks. The three from Kandivali in Mumbai were on their way to a funeral at Surat in Gujarat amid the Covid-19 lockdown when their car was stopped and they were attacked in the presence of police, who have maintained they were outnumbered. A video of the incident triggered outrage and a war of words between the ruling Shiv Sena-led alliance and the opposition BJP.
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on April 20 set up a high-level police probe, suspension of police personnel for dereliction of duty and the arrest of over 100 accused. He warned against giving the incident a communal colour.
The petition that has sought the CBI probe accused police of inaction. “The entire incident and its handling raise several questions which remain unanswered till date and as the petitioners apprehend shall never be answered unless they are investigated by an independent, unsullen and reputed arm of the central agencies,” it said.
“Several video clippings have emerged on social media and news reports which very clearly demonstrate the active involvement of the police present, who can be seen handing over the three persons to the unlawful assembly of persons gathered.”
It said the totality of the circumstances raises serious and unanswered questions about the state police’s ability to independently investigate into the incident “considering the potential involvement of the police in the gruesome lynching”. Maharashtra government’s lawyers opposed the petitions and said similar pleas are pending before the Bombay high court.