SC dismisses plea to review of Loya case verdict

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea to review its verdict that rejected the demand for an independent probe into the death of special CBI judge B H Loya.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud rejected the review petitions filed by Bombay Lawyers Association and Maharashtra-based journalist Bandhuraj Sambhaji Lone against the judgement delivered on April 19.

Judge Loya dealt with the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.

“We have carefully gone through the review petition and the connected papers, but we see no reason to interfere with the order impugned,” stated the identical orders, passed in two petitions.

The orders were released on the Supreme Court's website on Tuesday evening. Review petitions are considered in judges chambers, sans the presence of any counsel, in accordance with the Supreme Court Rules.

The Association, as well as Lone, has sought reconsideration of the judgment which brought the curtains down on the raging debate triggered after news reports suspecting foul play in Loya's death on December 1, 2014 in Nagpur where he had gone to attend the marriage function of one of his colleague's daughter.

The review petition claimed the judgement “has resulted in a miscarriage of justice, if not a complete negation of justice on the facts of the case.”

In its verdict, the apex court bench had then held that Loya died of "natural causes" and there was no ground for the court to hold that there was reasonable suspicion about the cause or circumstances of death which would merit a further inquiry.

The court had then decried a veiled attempt made through PILs to launch a frontal attack on the independence of the judiciary and to dilute the credibility of judicial institutions.

It had said political rivalries have to be resolved in the great hall of democracy, otherwise judicial process will be reduced to a charade.