Mumbai, June 16: A fact-finding committee appointed by Vivek Vichar Manch and headed by former Mumbai High Court Judge Justice Ambadas Joshi has demanded to hand over the investigations of Plaghar lynching case to the National Investigating Agency (NIA) or the CBI as the present investigation being conducted by the Maharashtra State CID is misled and prima facie appeared to be incorrectly handled by the police department and the CID. The committee was appointed to study the reasons leading to the brutal and ghastly murder of two Panchdashnami Juna Akhara sadhus – Mahant Kalpvriksha Giri (70) and Mahant Sushil Giri (35) and their driver Nilesh Telghade (30) at Gadchnchle village in Palghar district of Maharashtra on April 16, 2020. A mob od 300-400 armed with sticks, boulders, and bricks, etc. had attacked these sadhus going to Gujarat and mercilessly beat them to death in presence of police personnel.
The fact-finding committee headed by Justice Ambadas Joshi was comprised of Adv. Sameer Kamble, (Member Secretary), Adv. Pravartak Pathak, High Court (Joint Secretary), Kiran Shelar, Editor, Mumbai Tarun Bharat, Santosh Janathe, Activist in Palghar district, Lakshman Kharpade, retired Asstt. Commissioner of Police, and Maya Potdar, a social worker. The report of the fact-finding committee was released today at a press conference jointly addressed by Adv. Sameer Kamble and Adv Pravatak Pathak and Santosh Janathe.
Making a forceful demand of handing over the probe to the NIA or CBI, the committee member said that they had based their demand as they felt that the sudden transfers of police personnel of Kasa police station created doubt about the role of the police machinery; the statements made by the Chief Minister and Home Minister of the State led to influencing the investigations. A person named Kashinath Chaudhari, a prominent NCP member referred to as ‘Dada’ was present during the lynching incident but did not do anything to stop the angry mob from killing the sadhus. On the other hand, there are strong doubts that he brought many people to the site of the crime, the report alleged. This same person accompanied the State Home Minister on his visit to the area thus, creating doubt about the unbiased investigation by the state government.
The committee stated that this was an inter-state incident involving the territory of Dadra Nagar Haveli (UT) and Maharashtra. On this background, it may take a longer time to search for the answers of questions raised due to the occurrence of the incident. It is necessary to investigate as to the relationship between other states of the organizations run by the Leftist and the tribals in Palghar District. Otherwise, the situation in the region will be as violent as that of Gadchiroli or other Naxal-affected areas in the coming times.

The present incident of Sadhu’s lynching is the tip of the iceberg. It is necessary to investigate the real intentions of the organizations in Palghar and Thane district working under different names. The roots of these organizations must be revealed and the real accused needs to be found out. It is necessary to have thorough investigation as to the activities of the organizations, the foreign aids of these organizations, donations to these organizations. There is a strong necessity to have long term steps after an inquiry. Prima facie the members of these organizations are responsible for violence, anti-development, and anti-constitutional activities. As of now, those Adivasis are arrested by Police, real culprits may be found out and the innocent Adivasi may be released.
The report also pointed to the activities of organizations like Kashtakari Sanghatana, Adivasi Ekata Parishad, Bhumi Sena, and Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI). These organizations have been trying to vitiate the atmosphere in the tribal-dominated district of Palghar by injecting anti-constitution, anti-Hindu, anti-development and anti-tradition ideas and turning them towards the leftist and Naxalite ideology. Raising doubts over the source of funding to these organizations, the committee had demanded a probe into the funding sources of these organizations.
The Vivek Vichar Manch fact-finding committee members visited the area to ascertain the facts related to this heinous crime. However, due to lockdown because of coronavirus, all the members could not tour the area. However, some local members and journalists visited Gadchinchale and the surrounding area. They interacted with various tribal activists and Chitra Chaudhary, the sarpanch of that village Gadchinchale. The revelations emerging from the available information is quite shocking. The tribals are originally peace-loving and reverential to Hindu customs and traditions; how did the Tribals become so cruel? Why did they ruthlessly kill these two sadhus wearing saffron clothes? We found these prima facie answers during the inquiry.
The police administration had claimed that a rumor was spread that the Sadhus were thieves or kidnappers who are stealing kidneys and that is why the mob attacked and killed them. However, this claim of the police administration appears to be incorrect. The Sarpanch of Karsgaon, Luis Kakad, who lodged a police complaint, says that the same rumor like village Gadchinchale spread in other villages. The left-wing organizations working in the area are creating hatred in the minds of Adivasis, against Government, and Hindu religious leaders, sadhus, and sanyasis. Prima facie, the content of the material available in the public domain, suggests that these organizations indulged in anti-government and anti-Hindu activities. The growing violence in the area with the increasing influence of organizations like Catholic Bishop’s Conference of India, Kashtakari Sanghatana, Bhumi Sena, Adivasi Ekta Parishad, CPM prima facie suggests having culminated into the incident.
There are four factors which are impacting in Palghar region –
a. Anti-constitutional Activities
b. Anti-democratic Activities
c. Anti-development Activities
Anti-Constitutional Activities: The district Palghar is tribal-dominated and becomes a stronghold of many organizations working under the pretext of tribals. Pradeep Prabhu and his associates Brion Lobo, Shiraz Balsara have built up the large network of Kashtakari Sanghatana. So-called tribal activists of this district such as Pradeep Prabhu claiming that the tribals have their hundred years old written constitution, you will find videos of such claims on YouTube. There are videos available on YouTube which show anti-constitutional activities within the region.
On the line of Naxal lead Patthalgarhi movement in Jharkhand, the Chikhale Grampanchayat passed a similar resolution in Gram Sabha in May 2017. The member of the Adivasi Ekta Parishad has played an important role in passing such resolution.
Anti-democratic Activities: During the election period, public representatives, who are not leftists, are attacked. People are intimidated to participate in gatherings and rallies. Any opposition results in the burning of their houses, damaging their vehicles, destroying their livestock and pets, etc. Such incidents occur regularly. During the term of ex-MLA Lahanu Kome, many such violent incidents were reported in large numbers.
Anti-Development Activities: The organizations are consistently opposing the projects of Bullate Train and of Mumbai – Vadodara Highway Project, in the guise of protecting the interest of Adivasis.
Anti-Hindu Atmosphere: The material suggests that there is a conspiracy to divide the tribals from Hindu traditions which appear to be supported by the Christian missionaries. The propaganda is spread amongst the Adivasis that ‘The deities of the Hindus and Hindu traditions are not of Adivasis.’ They oppose Hindu Gods and varkari practices. Such anti-Hindu activities are causing hatred against Hindus. Fr Nicholas Barla and other Christian missionaries participate in tribal annual gatherings.
Anti-Hindu activists like Kaluram Dhodade of Adivasi Ekta Parishad spread hatred amongst the Adivasis. In Adivasi culture, there are pieces of evidence that show that Adivasi worships God Ram, Ganpati and other Hindu Gods as evident in any other Hindu sects. However, deliberately it is spread that Ram is not Adivasi God but Ravan is Adivasi God. By negative approach towards Hindu Traditions, people are instigated to become violent causes friction amongst the Adivasis. There are incidences which opposed Harinam Saptah, opposition to the burning of the effigy of Ravan at Jawhar. With the use of social media divisive videos causing hatred against Hindus are spread on a regular basis.
The committee said that after considering the available material referred to in the report, there is a possibility of Naxal like activities creating law and order situations by anti-social elements within the area located near the economic capital of the country. As in Naxal-affected areas such as Gadchiroli, Tripura, West Bengal, people with opposing views based on violence are eliminated, similar incidents are being carried out in Palghar district for the last 40 years. The present incident invited the attention of the entire country as the deceased were Sadhus, however many such violent attacks were carried out in this area.
The committee alleged that since inception due to the stand of the state government, the investigation, in this case, is misled and prima facie appears to be incorrectly handled by the Police department and CID. Therefore, we recommend that the responsibility for the inquiry of this matter should be entrusted to ‘NIA’ and ‘CBI’, they said.