Palghar lynching: Ex-CBI dir Nageshwar Rao seeks cops to be booked for abetment to murder

As the Maharashtra CID names 208 new suspects in the Palghar mob lynching, ex-CBI director M Nageshwara Rao on Friday, questioned if the concerned policemen had been booked for 'abetment to murder', as a new video has been circulating on social media - showing policemen standing around as the mob beat the priests and their driver. The video shows one of the priests running as the mob beats hin, while a police officer is seen standing unmoved, mutely seeing the attack. The Supreme Court is currently hearing a plea seeking a court-monitored or CBI probe into the case, which has been opposed by the Maharashtra government.  Two sadhus and their driver were lynched by a mob in Maharashtra's Palghar on April 16, 2020.

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In its recent affidavit filed by the Maharashtra government on October 6, it stated, "Two crimes have been registered. One against the mob under murder and 126 persons have been charge-sheeted. The second one is against 18 police officers who were at the scene. They have been punished with compulsory retirement and/or other disciplinary actions." While Assistant Police Inspector Anandrao Kale has been dismissed from service, Assistant Police Sub-inspector Ravindra Salunkhe and Police Head Constable Naresh Dondi have been compulsorily retired. The remaining 15 personnel have been punished by reducing their pay for a specific period, said Maharashtra police urging the bench to dismiss the plea.

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What is the Palghar lynching case?

On April 16, three men were lynched to death by a mob of 200 people in Gadchinchle in Maharashtra's Palghar district, allegedly suspecting the victims to be thieves. The deceased men identified as Sushilgiri Maharaj, Chikne Maharaj Kalpavriksha Giri and Nilesh Telwade were reportedly pelted stones at and beaten with sticks and rods, after being dragged out of their car heading to a funeral. However, some videos emerged which show police personnel standing mutely even as the mob was attacking the three persons. As of date, 362 suspects have been named, of which 70 are in custody - mostly from villages around Gadchinchale village, including 11 juveniles.

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While the police were initially probing into the case, the state Home Ministry has transferred the case to the state CID. Moreover, Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena Supremo Uddhav Thackeray has warned strict action against those giving communal angle to the issue, while Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has stated that all suspects belonged to the same religion of the victims - dismissing a communal angle to the assault. But due to apprehensions in the saint community, a plea has been filed in the SC seeking transfer to CBI.