Palghar Lynching: Maharashtra Government Hands Over The Case To CBI

Almost two and a half years after three persons including two sadhus, Kalpavriksha Giri Maharaj, aged 70, and Sushil Giri Maharaj, aged 35, were lynched by a mob in Palghar district near Mumbai, the Maharashtra Home Department has handed over the probe of the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The case was being investigated by the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) earlier.

The incident had taken place at Gadchinchle village during the nationwide lockdown on 16th April 2020. Their vehicle was stopped, they were dragged out and attacked by a mob, while the police officials looked on.

The video of the incident saw one of the sadhus pleading the mob to spare them.

The sadhus were killed causing an outrage on the laxity of the police officials. Questions were also raised on how the police allowed assembly of a mob when a lockdown was in place.

Suspecting conspiracy, there were demands from the BJP, then in opposition, and other Hindu seers and organisation for a CBI probe into the matter.

Then home minister Anil Deshmukh had opposed the demand, saying the killing took place as some villagers mistook them to be child traffickers.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra state government, during a plea hearing demanding CBI inquiry into the matter, informed the apex court that the delinquent police officials have been punished or even suspended from their services.

(with inputs from PTI)