Palghar lynching case: Maharashtra CID names 208 new accused, 50 arrested
The state criminal investigation department (CID) on Wednesday named 208 new accused in the April 16 Palghar lynching case and arrested 50 more people. The arrested accused will be produced before the Dahanu court on Thursday, confirmed Amrut Adhikari, who will be representing the arrested.
So far, 355 people have been arrested and 11 minors were apprehended in connection with the case. Later, 28 accused and nine minors have been released on bail as the CID in its charge sheet did not name them for their involvement in the lynching.
The bail hearing of 62 accused in the case will be heard by special sessions judge PP Jadhav at Thane on Thursday, said Adhikari.
Meanwhile, five months after Gaurav Singh, former SP of Palghar, was sent on compulsory leave by home minister Anil Deshmukh, he has now been posted as the superintendent of the Maharashtra Police Academy in Nashik by the home ministry, according to an order dated October 14.
Singh was asked to proceed on compulsory leave on May 8 after the CID took over the investigation into the incident wherein two seers and their driver were lynched to death by a 1,000-strong mob. Kasa police, which was handling the investigation, had come under strong criticism for mishandling the probe.
Singh had then suspended two officers who were part of the investigation. However, the state later sent Singh on compulsory leave.
An online petition was undertaken to get Singh back to Palghar.
The state also dismissed the service of the then Kasa police in-charge assistant inspector Anandrao Kale, slapped compulsory retirement on two policemen, and penalised 15 constables for dereliction of duty.
The state government, in response to a petition in the Supreme Court seeking handover of the case to a central agency, had last Wednesday said that no dereliction of duty was found from Singh’s side and thus, he was given a clean chit. Singh had reached the spot within an hour after the crime and had taken necessary action against the officers, the Apex court was told.