A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and R Subhash Reddy on Thursday directed the Maharashtra government to produce the charge sheets filed in the two FIRs relating to the Palghar lynching case within three weeks.
The bench further directed the state to bring on record the enquiry conducted against the policemen allegedly involved in the offence and the action, if any, that was initiated against them. The matter has been posted for hearing after 3 weeks.
The order came on a petition filed by advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha who demanded a CBI probe into the incident.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, pointed out that if the court comes to a conclusion stating police’s involvement in the offence, it must order a CBI probe.
Other seers of the Juna Akhara, to which the deceased sadhus belonged, also approached the apex court seeking a fair probe in the case.
Earlier in July, two charge sheets were filed in the case before a Dahanu court. A total of 126 accused were named in the two charge sheets.
According to the charge sheets, the incident took place amid rumours of kidnapping for illegal sale of organs and child-lifting in the area which led to the mob mistaking the seers and their driver as child-lifters.
{{/usCountry}}According to the charge sheets, the incident took place amid rumours of kidnapping for illegal sale of organs and child-lifting in the area which led to the mob mistaking the seers and their driver as child-lifters.
{{/usCountry}}The case relates to the incident that took place on April 16 when two sadhus and their driver - who were heading towards Surat to attend a funeral - were stopped at Palghar, Maharashtra, and beaten to death on suspicion of being thieves.