In a major development, Maharashtra’s Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Wednesday filed two chargesheets in the Palghar mob lynching case where two sadhus and their driver were lynched to death on April 16.
Police have stated the two chargesheets comprising of 4,955 pages and 5,921 pages respectively are initial charge sheets, adding that the probe will continue. The charge sheet mentions that the lynching was based on rumours and had no religious angle to it.
Besides sections of the Indian Penal Code, the accused were charged under relevant provisions of the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Diseases Act as the incident took place during the coronavirus-induced lockdown. They were also charged with murder, armed rioting and using criminal force to prevent a public servant from doing their duty, among other offences.
Special public prosecutor Satish Maneshinde said that 154 adults and 11 juveniles have been named as accused. He also added that the court had rejected the bail applications filed by some of them.
A group of 25 accused had reportedly sought bail on technical grounds, however, they were denied the bail after public prosecutor submitted to the court that there was evidence against them.
The state CID had questioned 808 suspects, recorded statements of 118 witnesses, gathered cellphone locations of the accused after they obtained videos and photographs of the lynching of Sadhus which was shot on cellphones and CCTV footage from a forest department chowki outside which the lynching occurred.
What is the Palghar lynching case?
On April 16, three men were lynched to death by a mob of 200 people in Gadchinchle in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, allegedly suspecting the victims to be theives. The deceased men identified as Sushilgiri Maharaj, Chikne Maharaj Kalpavriksha Giri and Nilesh Telwade were reportedly pelted stones at and beaten with sticks and rods. Kasa police have arrested 156 people under multiple sections of IPC, while three police officials have been suspended and 35 police personnel transferred.
