A PIL has been filed in Bombay High Court for issuing mandamus for investigation of brutal killing/lynching of Sadhus and their driver at Palghar by CBI or other investigating agency for conducting free and fair investigation in a time bound manner. Alternatively, it is prayed that investigation may be given to Special Investigation team.
PIL also seeks to conduct the trial of the case in a fast track court in an expeditious manner. Also, it seeks direction to State of Maharashtra to initiate stringent disciplinary and penal action under IPC by registering FIR against policemen, whose acts and omissions led to the incident. It demands 1 Crore compensation should also be given to bereaved family of driver, Nilesh Telgane, who was lynched by mob.
It is mentioned in the petition that two sadhus, Shri Sushil Giri Maharaj and Maharaj Kalpavrikshgiri along with their driver were going to attend last rites of spiritual Guru Ramgiri Maharaj in Surat, when they were stopped from taking National Highway due to Coronavirus lockdown. When their vehicle reached near Palghar, Maharashtra, they were taken into custody by Palghar Police and kept in Police Van.
At that time, a large mob stopped their vehicle and dragged the saffron-clad Sadhus out. Unruly mob armed with sticks and rods, attacked the Sadhus and brutally killed all of them in extremely barbaric manner.
Video clips of this incident later on surfaced in social as well as electronic media showing that the police didn’t even try to help the deceased persons. When sticks and rods were rained on the elderly sadhu Maharaj Kalpavrikshgiri, he clung to a uniformed cop for help. But the officer shrugged him allowing the mob to do what it was doing. In one video, Maharaj Kalpavrikshgiri begged the mob to spare him but his cries didn’t move them.
It is pertinent to mention here that the State of Maharashtra claimed that subsequently, they have arrested 101 people and detained nine minors so far in connection with the lynching. It has been further stated that the investigation of the aforesaid matter has been handed over to CID-Crime Department of the State.
However, Petitioner submits that there are serious allegations against the police personnel themselves as to why did they allow such a large gathering despite the ongoing lockdown and why they did not try to protect the aforesaid deceased persons from unruly mob. There are allegations that one of the police personnel pushed the elderly Sadhu to the violent mob, instead of saving him, which led to his brutal lynching. In various videos of the incident, surfacing on social media and electronic media, presence of a number of police personnel can be seen at the said place at the time of incident, however, no police personnel is seen taking any step in protecting the said deceased persons.
-India Legal Bureau