Supreme Court issues notice to Maharashtra in Palghar lynching case

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday sought reply from the Maharashtra government in the Palghar lynching incident.

The bench, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, while issuing the notice, listed the matter for hearing in the second week of July.

Advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the apex court seeking a court-monitored probe or transfer of the Palghar case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), alleging that the state police was complicit in the incident.

The bench, also comprising Justices MR Shah and V Ramasubramanian, heard the case through video conferencing in virtual court number five.

The Maharashta government had opposed the plea stating that similar cases were pending in the Bombay High Court.

Jha contended for the



request to be moved to the National Investigation Agency. He included that there were worries that proof might be messed with. 

On 1 May, the top court had looked for status report of the test from the Maharashtra police. 

The PIL has scrutinized the get-together of the group at the site of the occurrence in spite of the across the country lockdown. It likewise asserted that the neighborhood organization and police neglected to release their obligations.

The counsel for Maharashtra had apprised the court that the state government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the Palghar incident, transferring the case to CID.

On 16 April, two sadhus and their driver--headed towards Surat to attend a funeral were stopped at Palghar and dragged out their car and beaten to death on suspicion that they were thieves.