HC to peruse case diaries in Loharia murder case

The Bombay High Court today said it would go through the case diaries pertaining to the murder of Navi Mumbai builder Sunil Loharia in order to decide whether the probe should be handed over to CBI.
The observation was made by a bench headed by Justice P V Hardas, which was hearing a PIL filed by activist Ketan Tirodkar for handing over the probe to CBI alleging that the accused were being shielded by police.
The Mumbai Crime branch, which is probing the case, had earlier handed over the case diaries in a sealed cover to the court. Police had also produced the call data records of purported telephonic talks between Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner A K Sharma and absconding accused Anurag Garg.

The petitioner alleged that there was evidence with the investigating authorities to show that Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner and a senior police inspector were in touch with the accused before and after Loharia's murder in February 2013.
The petitioner alleged that rival builder Suresh Bijlani and architect Anurag Garg, both accused in the case, were spotted by Loharia's son in the police station, where he had gone to lodge a complaint. Bijlani has since been arrested, while Garg is still absconding.
The probe was earlier being done by Navi Mumbai police, but later the case was transferred to Mumbai Crime Branch.

Loharia was shot dead outside his Navi Mumbai office on February 16 last year.