Three months after Palghar mob attack CID files charge sheet

Palghar: The Maharashtra CID on Wednesday, July 15 filed a charge sheet in a court here in the Palghar lynching case in which two monks and their driver were beaten to death by a mob near here exactly three months ago.

A senior official in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said the 4,955-page charge sheet was filed in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class at Dahanu taluka in Palghar district located adjoining Mumbai.

“The voluminous document is being scrutinized by court officials,” he said.

“Once the scrutiny is done, charges will be framed against the accused by the court,” the official said.

Two monks and their driver were lynched by a mob at Gadchinchale village in the district on April 16 when they were traveling in a car to Surat to attend a funeral amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown,” police have said.

“The brutal mob attack took place amid rumors that child-lifters were roaming in the area during the lockdown,” they have said.

The case was later handed over to the CID for a probe. The officer said a total of 165 villagers, including ten juveniles, have been named as accused in the case.

“The juveniles are in a remand home, while the other accused are in jail under judicial custody,” he said.

“They have been charged with murder, armed rioting and using criminal force to prevent a public servant from doing is a duty, among other offenses,” the CID official said.

Noted lawyer Satish Maneshinde has been appointed the Special Public Prosecutor in the case.
The victims were identified by the police as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70), Sushil Giri Maharaj (35), and their driver Nilesh Telgade (30).

After the incident caused an uproar, the state government suspended Kasa police station in-charge Anandrao Kale, under whose jurisdiction the crime took place, and some other policemen, including sub-inspectors.

Also, more than 35 police constables and personnel of other ranks were transferred in the wake of the mob attack.

The government had also sent the then Palghar district police chief, Gaurav Singh, on forced leave and replaced him with Dattatraya Shinde.

In all, three FIRs related to murder, armed rioting, and other charges were registered in connection with the incident.

The Dahanu court has rejected bail application of 25 accused arrested in the case.