Palghar Mob Lynching Case: Maharashtra CID Files 2 Chargesheets at Dahanu Taluka's Magistrate Court

Pune, July 16: Crime Investigation Department (CID), Pune on Wednesday filed chargesheets in the Palghar mob lynching case, in which two sadhus and their driver were lynched to death on April 16. The chargesheets were filed in the Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) at Dahanu taluka in Palghar district.

As per the statement of CID Pune, the team has examined 808 suspects and 118 witnesses to collect strong evidence against the accused. In all, 154 persons were arrested and 11 juveniles in conflict with the law, were detained and none of the accused has been released on bail so far. CID said that while two sadhus and their driver were travelling on April 16 in a van from Mumbai to Gujarat, they were accosted and fatally attacked near a Forest Check Naka at village Gadchinchle, Taluka Dahanu, of Palghar district by a violent mob of locals. Debendra Nath Ray Death Row: CID Arrest Niloy Singh in Connection With BJP MLA's Death, Says His Name Was Written in Suicide Note.

Three different offences were registered at Kasa Police Station in three different FIRs and investigated by the Palghar Police until the State government transferred all these cases for investigation to the CID Crime, Maharashtra. On April 21 the CID took over the investigation and assigned the same to its Kokan Bhavan Unit headed by SP Maruti Jagtap, it said.

On July 15, CID team submitted chargesheets in all three cases related to Palghar lynching. In the first case, a 4955 pages chargesheet was filed by the Dy SP and IO Vijay Pawar in the Court of JMFC Dahanu against 126 accused under relevant sections of I.P.C, of the Disaster Management Act, of the Epidemic Diseases Act of the Maharashtra Police Act and of the Maharashtra Damage to Public Property (Prevention) Act 1984.

In the second case, a 5921 pages Charge Sheet has been filed by Dy SP and the IO Irfan Shaikh in the Court of JMFC Dahanu against 126 accused under relevant sections of the IPC, of the Disaster Management Act of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897, of the Maharashtra Police Act and of the Maharashtra Damage to Public Property (Prevention) Act 1984.

Since there is adequate evidence against two juveniles in conflict with law, separate proceedings against them are being initiated before the Juvenile Justice Board, CID said. Further investigation is in progress, it said. Two sadhus and their driver, who were travelling from Kandivali in Mumbai to Gujarat, were beaten to death on April 16, allegedly by villagers in Gadchinchle of Palghar, as they suspected them of being thieves.