Post SC judges' row, bench headed by CJI to hear Loya death case on Monday

The Supreme Court will hear on Monday the plea for an independent probe into the circumstances leading to the death of Special CBI court judge BM Loya who was hearing the case of staged shootout of Sohrabuddin Sheikh. The order passed by the court on Friday said it would be listed on Monday for hearing by an "appropriate bench".

The two petitions seeking an independent probe into the death of Special CBI Judge Brijmohan Loya will be heard by a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud.

A bench of two judges, Arun Mishra and Mohan M Shantanagoudar, had adjourned the hearing in the case last Tuesday, without listing a date for the next hearing. The bench had directed the Maharashtra government, which submitted details on the case in a sealed envelope, to make its contents public to the petitioners as it is “a matter where they should see everything."

The allocation of Judge Loya's matter to a relatively junior bench was one of the bone of contention raised by four rebel judges - Justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph — in their unprecedented press conference on January 12

The case came into limelight as BJP president Amit Shah was one of the accused in the case. Shah was later discharged by the Special CBI court trying Sohrabuddin Sheikh case.