Congress demands SC-monitored SIT probe in judge Loya's death case

The Congress on Wednesday said that there were some serious questions were unanswered in the death of judge BH Loya.

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into the death of judge BH Loya.

The Congress said the SIT should not have officers from the CBI and the NIA and added that if there is no proper probe into the matter, the party will go to "each village of the country".

Speaking to reporters, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal alleged that "democracy is in danger" and judges, lawyers and even media personnel were not safe these days. He also questioned why the Bombay High Court did not lodge an FIR following Loya's death.

Former union ministers Salman Khurshid, Vivek Tankha and party in-charge of communication Randeep Singh Surjewala were also present at the press conference along with Sibal.

The Congress also made a presentation levelling allegations. Sibal was joined by lawyer and activist Satish Uke.

Watch highlights of the Press Conference blacked out by all news channels on the mysterious death of Justice Loya. #ProbeJusticeLoyaDeath pic.twitter.com/qCULYvXI3W

— Congress (@INCIndia) January 31, 2018

Special CBI judge Loya, who was handling the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case, died of a heart attack in November 2014 in Nagpur. Later, political parties, including the Congress, alleged that he died in mysterious circumstances and demanded an investigation into it.

The documents relating to Loya's post-mortem were also "manipulated", Sibal claimed. "We can't talk about how he (Loya) died... But the circumstances are telling some story," he said. 

"Our demand is that this matter must be referred to an independent SIT where there is no CBI officer, where there is no NIA officer. This independent SIT must be chosen, if this investigation is to go on," Sibal said, adding allegations made by Loya's sister must also be probed.

He further said that ahead of Loya`s death in Nagpur, his police security was withdrawn, there was no travel record of his visit and there was no entry of his name in the VIP guest house there. 

Sibal said Uke came to him in July 2017 but he did not share at that time what the lawyer told him - that Nagpur lawyer Shrikant Khandalkar and retired district judge Prakash Thombre had come to Uke in 2014 and told him that Loya wanted to talk to him as he wants to act impartially in an important case that is in his court and is keen to divert "the pressure he is facing".

A video call was later facilitated between Loya and Uke when the judge said told him that he was under heavy pressure, said Sibal, adding that Uke and Thombre came to Delhi to seek legal help but went back disappointed after being told by a senior advocate that there was not enough evidence to move the court. 

He said that in October 2015, Khandalkar phoned Uke to tell him that he was getting death threats and was allegedly killed next month, with his family terming it a conspiracy and murder. 

Sibal said that next year, Thombre told Uke his life was in danger and named two people before dying in an accident on a train in May 2016, adding that these incidents "tell a strange tale". He added that in June 2016, tonnes of iron suddenly fell on the roof of Uke`s office. 

Regarding the statement of Loya’s son, he said, "if the sister says that she has grave doubts about his death and the father says that he has grave doubts about his death and you and I saw the demeanour of the young man, then you should draw your own conclusion."

On January 14, 2018, Anuj Loya, the son of the late CBI judge had said his family had no suspicions now regarding the death of his father.

''Our family is deeply pained with the chain of events in past few days. We have no suspicion over father's death now. We had suspicion earlier but it is over now. Please don't harass us anymore,'' the teenager had said while addressing a press conference in the national capital.

(With Agency inputs)