'Centre involves CBI only when....': Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on transfer of Palghar mob lynching case

Palghar mob lynching case: The Eknath Shinde government, in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on October 11, said that it is ready and willing to hand over the investigation into the 2020 Palghar lynching case of sadhus to the CBI and would have no objection to the same.

Mumbai: Making a scathing attack on the Narendra Mod-led government at the Centre, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole has alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is involved by the government only when it has to keep cases pending. Patole also dubbed the transfer of the probe into the 2020 Palghar mob lynching case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as "wrong". 

Citing the CBI cases into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, in Bihar elections, the Congress leader said that all the cases are pending. "It is wrong to give the case to CBI, the state police is capable. CBI enquiry in the Sushant Singh case, and Girish Mahajan case are all pending. CBI is only involved when the Centre has to keep cases pending," Patole said.

The Eknath Shinde government, on October 11, in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court said that it is ready and willing to hand over the investigation into the 2020 Palghar lynching case of sadhus to the CBI and would have no objection to the same.

The affidavit was filed by the Maharashtra government on the petitions arising out of the unfortunate attack and lynching of two sadhus, and seeking the investigation in the matter to CBI in order to conduct an independent and impartial investigation.

The pleas are seeking a CBI or a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe in the incident that took place in the Palghar district. Earlier, the Maharashtra government had told the apex court that an investigation has been completed in the Palgarh lynching case.

Maharashtra government had earlier informed Supreme Court that all guilty police officials have been punished or suspended from services. Extending support to the decision of the state government, Union Minister Narayan Rane on Tuesday said the matter should be thoroughly investigated and truth should come out.

"The matter should be investigated and the truth should come out," said Union minister Narayan Rane. On the night of April 16 2020, the two sadhus and their driver were travelling from Kandivali in Mumbai to attend a funeral in Gujarat`s Surat amid the nationwide lockdown when their vehicle was stopped and they were attacked and killed by a mob in Gadchinchile village in the presence of police officers.