Probe 'suspicious' death of judge hearing Sohrabuddin fake encounter case: Cong, CPM

Congress and CPM have demanded a probe into the death of a special CBI judge hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case three years ago.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi   termed the media reports about the suspicious nature of death of special CBI judge Brijgopal Harikishan Loya in  Nagpur  in 2014 as "very serious, and even if partially true, very worrisome".

At the time of his death, Loya was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case in which BJP President Amit Shah was the prime accused.

"Your question whether there should be a probe is certainly a correct one," Singhvi said.

CPM seeks probe

The CPM Polit Bureau said the reports of Loya's death have raised disturbing questions of murder, bribery, subversion of law and the manipulation of institutions of our parliamentary democracy at the highest level, which must be seriously investigated.

"The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands that a high level judicial enquiry be instituted immediately to look into this whole affair," a Polit Bureau statement said.

"If we cannot protect the judges of the country, we cannot protect democracy," Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday at a book release function.

A series of reports published by The Caravan magazine, raise questions on the circumstances surrounding the death of Loya and inconsistencies in reporting the reasons leading to it to the family.