CBI Takes Over Palghar Sadhus Mob Lynching Case, Maharashtra Government Tells Supreme Court

Maharashtra government has informed the Supreme Court that it recommended a CBI probe into the 2020 Palghar lynching of three individuals, resulting in the closure of four pending petitions on the matter.

The bench, which consisted of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha, acknowledged the recent affidavit submitted by the Maharashtra government stating that it had already dispatched a communication regarding the CBI inquiry recommendation.

"In view of the decision taken by the state government, no further direction is needed on these petitions at this stage. The petitions are disposed of," the bench said, reported The Hindustan Times.

The petitions had requested an investigation by the CBI, claiming that the state police inquiry was partial in its approach.

The previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government rejected the request for a CBI investigation, but the new administration agreed to allow petitions for a central probe into the incident.

In April 2020, a group of three individuals - two seers and their car driver - from Mumbai were travelling by car to attend a funeral in Surat amidst the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. The vehicle was halted by a mob in Gadchinchile village, where they were allegedly attacked and killed in the presence of the police.

The three victims have been identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70 years old), Sushil Giri Maharaj (35 years old), and Nilesh Telgade (30 years old).