Palghar, Aug 14: All those involved and arrested in the lynching of two sadhus and their driver on April 16, 2020, near Palghar were released on bail as the Maharashtra Police failed to submit any evidence against them.
A Dahanu court granted default bail to 28 accused in the April 16 mob-lynching case after no charge sheet was filed against them in the specified 90 days.
Two sadhus – Mahant Kalpvruksh Giri (70) and Mahant Sushil Giri (35) and their driver Nilesh Telghade (30) were brutally hacked to death at Gadchanchle village in Palghar district by an irate mob laced with sticks, bricks and other weapons. The incident happened in the presence of police.
Dahanu Court Judicial Magistrate MV Jawale ordered their release on a bail bond of Rs 30,000 each, according to reports. However, only 10 of them will be freed since the remaining 18 also figure in the third CID charge sheet filed before the Dahanu court last week.
The charge sheet filed on August 6 mentions 47 accused and seeks their conviction under charges related to relating to obstructing police, rioting and attempt to murder.
They were arrested on the basis of the first two FIRs relating to murder and attempt to murder filed in the case in April.
The videos released by the people after the incident clearly showed that the sadhus were done to death in the presence of the police. Initially, the media tried to suppress the incident but social media made it public. The Maharashtra Government too tried to underplay the killings stating that the incident happened due to ‘misunderstanding’.
However, following the public pressure, and the countrywide anger, the Maharashtra police arrested around 24 accused. Since the Maharashtra police failed to produce any evidence against these accused, all of them were released on bail. The police even failed to file a charge sheet against them.
A total of 154 people were arrested by the police in the case.