Written by Harshit Sabarwal | Edited by Sohini Goswami, New Delhi
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said no injustice will be done to religious leaders in the state. His statement came in the wake of the Maharashtra government announcing that it had no objection in transferring the 2020 Palghar lynching case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“Injustice will not be done to sadhus in the state and those who have done it will get strict punishment,” Shinde told reporters.
On April 16, 2020, two sadhus – Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri and Sushilgiri Maharaj – and their driver Nilesh Telgade were lynched at Gadchinchile village of Palghar on rumours of being child lifters.
The three victims were travelling from Kandivali in Mumbai to attend a funeral in Gujarat’s Surat amid the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown when their vehicle was stopped and they were lynched in the presence of police officers.
The incident led to massive anger against the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi-led state government of Uddhav Thackeray.
In an affidavit on Tuesday, the Maharashtra government said it was willing to hand over the case to the CBI.
The affidavit was filed on pleas seeking a probe into the case by the central investigation agency or a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Earlier, the state government had informed the Supreme Court that the investigation into the case was completed, adding all guilty police officers were punished or suspended from service.
Reacting to the Maharashtra government’s decision to transfer the case to the CBI, Union minister Narayan Rane said on Tuesday the matter should be thoroughly investigated and the truth should come out.
(With inputs from agencies)