SC asks Maha govt to file affidavit on plea for CBI probe in Palghar lynching

Supreme Court (SC) has told the Maharashtra government why it should order for a CBI probe into the alleged lynching of three persons in Palghar in 2020 when the state has no objection to such an investigation. The court asked the Maharashtra government to file an affidavit to this effect.

Why should we pass the order that you (Maharashtra) give it to CBI, a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala told the counsel for the Maharashtra government when he said the state has no objection to the submissions of the petitioners that the case be probed by the central probe agency.

Earlier, the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had opposed the plea for CBI probe into the case. However, with the change in government, the stand has changed as well and the counsel for the state told the bench that it was agreeable to the CBI probe.

The bench then asked the state government to file an affidavit to this effect and posted the pleas for further hearing on April 10. The state government also apprised the bench that so far two charge sheets have been filed and the trial has not gathered pace.

The state government had earlier told the apex court that the Maharashtra Police has punished delinquent policemen for dereliction of duties in the alleged lynching incident and sought dismissal of pleas seeking a CBI probe.

The affidavit was filed in response to a batch of petitions, including one by seers of Shri Panch Dashban Juna Akhara and relatives of the deceased. Their plea alleged the investigation by the state police was being conducted in a biased manner.