Palghar mob lynching: Supreme Court agrees to hear plea for transfer of case to NIA

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to the Maharashtra government, DGP, Centre and CBI respondents on the petitions filed by the Hindu Sadhus of Shri Panch Dashnam Juna Akhara and the relatives of the two deceased Sadhus in the Palghar mob lynching incident.

The petitions have been filed on behalf of Mahant Shraddhanand Saraswati and Ghanshyam Upadhyay before the Supreme Court stating that the video clips that have emerged of the incident depict how the Police might have played an active role in the lynching of the Shadhus at Palghar.

The Supreme Court issued a notice to the respondents, asking them to respond to the petitions within four weeks. The petitioners also sought the probe to be transferred to the National Investigation Agency for a fair, impartial probe.

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'Witnesses committing suicide'

The lawyer for Mahant Shraddhanand Saraswati told the Supreme Court that the witnesses were committing suicide and that’s why they had reasons to suspect that the probe was not taking its course.

The petitioners also sought an urgent hearing from the Supreme Court on the issue stating that they had apprehensions that the evidence may disappear. The Maharashtra government, on the other hand, we opposed the petitions saying that similar petitions were already pending before the Bombay High Court.

The Supreme Court has issued a notice in the matter and asked all parties to respond to the petitions by the second week of July.

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