The Maharashtra government, led by Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray has vociferously opposed the demand for a CBI and NIA enquiry into the Palghar lynching case of two Hindu sadhus and their driver, in the presence of police officials, where video evidence also has also shown the police giving up the sadhus to the blood-thirsty crowd only to be lynched to death. Submitting an affidavit before the top court of the country, the Maha Vikas Aghadi called for a dismissal of the petition seeking the CBI or court-monitored probe, while also demanding that the petitioner, Shashank Shekhar Jha be made to cough up for wasting precious time of the Supreme Court.
“Following a departmental enquiry, Assistant Police-Inspector Anandrao Kale has been served with dismissal orders while his colleagues — Assistant Sub-Inspector Ravi Salunkhe and Constable Naresh Dhodi — have been compulsorily retired,” Palghar Police spokesperson Sachin Navadkar told IANS. In the affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, the Maharashtra government claimed that the state CID had investigated the case in a detailed and extensive manner and filed two charge sheets before a court in Dahanu against 126 accused persons after thorough investigation.
Additionally, the affidavit also claimed that 15 police personnel, who were found negligent and derelict in performing their duties have been punished by reducing their pay for a period of two to three years. Somehow, the Maharashtra government is convinced that this is reason enough for the apex court to dismiss the petition seeking a CBI probe into the inhuman and ghastly lynching of sadhus in an area infested by Maoists and heavily influenced by Christian missionaries.
On the night of April 16, amid a stringent CoVID-related nationwide lockdown, a heart-wrenching case of mob lynching took place in Palghar where two Juna Akhara Sadhus- Chikane Maharaj Kalpavrikshgiri (70) and Sushil Giri Maharaj (35), and their driver Nilesh Telgane (35) were lynched to death by a bloodthirsty, 200-strong mob. Disturbing videos of the monstrosity went viral, in which the 70-year old Sadhu could be seen in a helpless condition while he was handed over to the blood-thirsty mobs by the police personnel. Later, the Sadhu kept pleading the policemen for help but to no avail as the trio was lynched to death right in front of the policemen.
The Maharashtra government has since then been working overtime to ensure that the case is not transferred to the CBI, for reasons best known to them. Their latest move in the top court is just another step in that direction.