Supreme Court seeks status report from Maharashtra govt in Palghar lynching case

The Supreme Court on Friday sought a status report from the Maharashtra government in Palghar lynching case, related to killings of two Hindu saints and their driver on April 16.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and Sanjiv Khanna said the incident was a violation of lockdown rules as well. How did the police allow such a crowd to assemble? the court asked.

The top court fixed a PIL filed by Shashank Shekhar Jha for hearing after four weeks.

The petitioner contended that there was an abject failure of administration during the lockdown. The police did not use any power available to it in preventing the incident. Though state CID is investigating the matter. It comes under ADG of Maharashtra only, there is unlikely to be a fair probe, he contended.

The court, deciding not to stay the ongoing investigation, asked the Maharashtra government to file a report within four weeks and put the matter for hearing thereafter.

Earlier, during the hearing on Friday, a separate PIL asked the court to direct the Union government to create an awareness campaign against lynchings in the wake of recent incidents in Palghar and Bulandshahr.

The top court, however, dismissed it saying people were already aware. There was also a Supreme Court judgement (Tehseen Poonawalla) and no further direction was required, it said.

On April 16, two Hindu saints Swami Kalpvrikshya Giri (70) and his disciple Swami Sushil Giri(35) and their driver Neelesh Telghre were lynched by a mob of over 100 villagers when they were going to Surat in Gujarat for last rites for a senior seer from 'Juna Akhada'.

The Maharashtra police have arrested over 100 people in the case.