Palghar lynching case: Supreme Court to hear on Nov 15 pleas seeking CBI probe

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The Supreme Court on Friday said it will hear on November 15 a plea seeking CBI probe into alleged lynching of three persons in Palghar district in April 2020, after it was apprised that the Maharashtra government has consented to the investigation by the agency.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli was apprised by the PIL petitioner that now nothing remains in the plea as the state government has already agreed to transfer the probe in the case to the CBI.

The lawyer urged the listing of the PIL at the top of the board on November 15.

We will hear it on November 15. Not top of the board, the CJI said.

Earlier, in a change of stance, the Maharashtra government had told the Supreme Court it was ready to hand over to CBI the investigation into the alleged lynching of three persons including two seers.

The state government had earlier told the apex court that the 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.

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"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 filed in October.

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.

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