Eknath Shinde government has ‘no objection’ to CBI investigating 2020 Palghar mob-lynching case

The Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, overturning one of the decisions of previous Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government run by Uddhav Thackeray, indicated its willingness to transfer the April 2020 Palghar lynching case to Central Bureau of Investigation.

On April 16, 2020, two Nashik-based sadhus Kalpavriksha Giri Maharaj (70), Sushil Giri Maharaj (35)—who were from Shri Panch Dashnam Juna Akhara, the biggest order of sadhus in India headquartered in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh—and their driver Nilesh Telgade (30) were brutally attacked and killed by a mob of more than 500 people at Palghar district’s Gadchinchale village in Dahanu tehsil—about 120 km from downtown Mumbai.

The sadhus and the driver were attacked amid rumours—in the middle of the first Covid-19 lockdown in the country—that child lifters were in the area. The sadhus were on their way to Surat in Gujarat for the funeral of their guru Mahant Shri Ram Giri.

The Kasa police station in Palghar initially registered the First Information Report of the incident; the inquiry was later handed over to the state Crime Investigation Department.

Despite repeated public demands by several bodies and political parties to hand over the inquiry to the CBI, the MVA government let the CID continue with the investigation.

“The petitioners have sought transfer of investigation to the CBI, in as much as according to them, it is imperative for achieving an impartial and independent investigation in the matter…. The state of Maharashtra is ready and willing to hand over the investigation to the CBI and would have no objection for the same,” the Shinde-Fadnavis government said in an affidavit.

The state BJP welcomed the move. “The incident was brutal and barbaric. The sadhus did not get justice…. Thackeray spoke of Hindutva, however, he kept mum. Now, the government has decided to give it to the CBI…. We are committed to give justice to the sadhus,” state BJP spokesperson Ram Kadam said.

Acharya Tushar Bhosale, the Head of Maharashtra-BJP Spiritual Front, thanked Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis, who holds the Home portfolio. “What the previous government could not do, Fadnavis did,” Bhosale said, pointing out that the country is witnessing what has happened to Thackeray and the then Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

As per the 2011 Census, the village has a population of 1,298 residents, of which 93 per cent are from the Scheduled Tribes or Adivasis. The village lies on the border that Maharashtra shares with the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

A total of 251 accused were arrested by the Palghar police and the State CID. The accused include 13 juveniles. More than 70 accused are still in custody, three chargesheets have been filed and the case is under trial.