Palghar ‘sadhus’ lynching: No bail for 25 accused

Palghar (Maharashtra), July 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) Additional Sessions Judge D.H. Keluskar of Dahanu Sessions Court rejected the bail applications of 25 accused arrested in connection with the April 16 lynching of two 'sadhus' and their driver, officials said here on Wednesday.

Special Public Prosecutor Satish Maneshinde told IANS that all the accused had sought bail on technical grounds which was rejected by the Dahanu Sessions Court on Tuesday.

Strongly opposing the bail plea, Maneshinde said that the prosecution had gathered "multiple evidences against the accused", including mobile Call Data Records and other technical evidence.

Investigations of these evidences proved that the accused were present at the spot during the incident near Gadchinchale village at Kasa in Palghar that night, when a 500-strong mob had beaten to death the two sadhus and their driver.

Later, more than 150 people were arrested by Kasa Police and the matter was handed over to the state Crime Investigation Department.

On the fateful night, the victims - Kalpavrikshagiri Maharaj, 70, his assistant Sushilgiri Maharaj, 35, of the Juna Akhada, and their driver Nilesh Telgade, 30, were waylaid when they were en route from Mumbai to Surat for a funeral during the lockdown.

Mistaking them to be robbers or kidnappers, a huge mob of tribals and villagers pounced on them with stones, sticks, sickles and the trio later succumbed to their injuries.

The police booked around 150 persons, including a few minors, even as the incident created a nationwide political furore and the probe was given to the CID.

Source: IANS