Loya death: Opp. seeks SIT probe in plea to Kovind
Asserting that they had no faith in either the CBI or the NIA, Opposition MPs on Friday petitioned President Ram Nath Kovind for a court- monitored SIT probe into the death of CBI Judge B. H. Loya who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, led a delegation of MPs from several political parties, including the Trinamul Congress, the DMK and the Left met the President and presented him with a memorandum with the demand.
“To uphold the majesty of law, we request you to intervene in the matter. What is required is a thorough investigation through a team of independent officers selected and monitored by the Supreme Court,” the memorandum said.
The petition has been signed by 114 MPs from 15 parties, including the TMC, SP, NCP, DMK, RJD and AAP as well as the Left parties. The BSP is not a signatory to the letter.
They said that the investigation should not be entrusted to either the Central Bureau of Investigation or the National Investigation Agency, given their track record.
“A large number of MPs feel suspicious and uneasy over the death of Justice Loya and two others. They wanted an independent probe and did not want the investigation to be handed over to the CBI,” Mr Gandhi said.
The Congress President said that the President gave a positive response and has assured them that he would look into the matter.
Justice Loya, who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, died of a cardiac arrest in Nagpur on December 1, 2014, when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague’s daughter.