Palghar lynching case: Ready to transfer case to CBI, Maharashtra tells SC

Maharashtra Government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it has no objection on transferring the 2020 Palghar mob lynching case of two Hindu sadhus to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government in an affidavit said that it is ready and willing to hand over the investigation to the CBI and would have no objection to the same.

Maharastra State filed the affidavit on the petitions arising out of the unfortunate attack and lynching of two sadhus and seeking the transfer of the investigation into the matter to CBI in order to conduct an independent and impartial investigation.

The pleas sought a CBI or a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe in the incident that took place in the Palghar district in April 2020.

Earlier, the Maharashtra government had told the apex court that an investigation has been completed in the Palghar lynching case.

Maharashtra government had earlier informed Supreme Court that all guilty police officials have been punished or suspended from services

Earlier, the apex court had asked the Maharashtra government to bring on record the chargesheet and details of the inquiry against police officials in connection with the Palghar mob lynching incident.

The pleas have also sought a probe by the CBI and the registration of an FIR against police officials for their alleged failure to prevent the mob from gathering in violation of the lockdown norms.

On the night of April 16, 2020, two sadhus and their driver were travelling from Kandivali in Mumbai to attend a funeral in Gujarat's Surat amid the nationwide lockdown when their vehicle was stopped and they were attacked and killed by a mob in Gadchinchile village of Palghar in the presence of police officers.