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Palghar lynching case: Ex-Palghar SP transferred to Maharashtra Police Academy in Nashik
Five months after Gaurav Singh, former superintendent of police (SP), Palghar, was sent on compulsory leave by state home minister Anil Deshmukh following the Palghar
Five months after Gaurav Singh, former superintendent of police (SP), Palghar, was sent on compulsory leave by state home minister Anil Deshmukh following the Palghar lynching case, he has now been posted as a superintendent of the Maharashtra Police Academy, Nashik, by the state home ministry.
This was announced in an order dated October 14 by the state home department that included postings of 23 IAS and IPS officers.
Singh was asked to proceed on compulsory leave on May 8 after the state crime investigation department (CID) took over the probe from the Kasa police.
Two sadhus and their driver were lynched by a huge mob outside Gadhchinchale village, 110 kilometres from Palghar in Maharashtra on April 16. They were attacked on the suspicion of being child-lifters.
The Kasa police, under whose jurisdiction the crime had taken place, had come under strong criticism for mishandling of the lynching.
Singh had then suspended two officers who were part of the investigation. However, as pressure mounted on the state to take action against the police personnel, Singh was sent on compulsory leave.
An online petition was undertaken to get back Singh to Palghar but was replaced by Dattatray Shinde the new SP of Palghar.
The state later dismissed the service of the then Kasa police in-charge assistant inspector Anandrao Kale, slapped compulsory retirement on two policemen and 15 constables were penalised for dereliction of duty in the Palghar lynching case.
The state government in a reply to the Supreme Court to a petition seeking handing over the case to a central agency, had last Wednesday, mentioned that no dereliction of duty was found from Singh’s side and thus was given a clean chit.
