Ready to hand over probe to CBI in Palghar case: Maha govt to SC

New Delhi: In a change of stance, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court it was ready to hand over to CBI the investigation into alleged lynching of three persons, including two seers, in Palghar district in April 2020.

The state government had earlier told the apex court that Maharashtra Police has punished “delinquent” policemen for their dereliction of duties in the alleged lynching incident and sought dismissal of pleas seeking a CBI probe.

“The petitioners have sought transfer of investigation to the CBI, in as much as according to them, it is imperative for achieving an impartial and independent investigation in the matter…  “The state of Maharashtra is ready and willing to hand over the investigation to the CBI and would have no objection for the same,” the Maharashtra government told the top court in an affidavit.

The affidavit was filed in response to a batch of petitions including one by sadhus of ‘Shri Panch Dashban Juna Akhara’ and relatives of the deceased seers.

Their plea alleged the investigation by the state police was being conducted in a biased manner.

The other pleas have been filed by advocates Shashank Shekhar Jha and Ghanshyam Upadhyay.

The three persons from Kandivali in Mumbai were travelling in a car to attend a funeral in Surat in Gujarat amid the COVID-19-induced nationwide lockdown when their vehicle was stopped and they were attacked and allegedly killed by a mob in Gadchinchile village on the night of April 16 last year in the presence of police.

The victims were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri, 70, Sushil Giri Maharaj, 35, and Nilesh Telgade, 30, who was driving the vehicle.