Palghar lynching case: 3 policemen dismissed from service

The Inspector General (IG) of Police, Konkan Range, on Sunday (August 30) dismissed three policemen in connection with the Palghar mob lynching case in which two ssadhus were killed.

The dismissed police personnel were identified as assistant police inspector Anandrao Kale, assistant sub inspector Ravi Salunke and head constable Naresh Dhodi. it is to be noted that Kale was was in-charge of Kasa Police Station in Palghar, Maharashtra, when the incident took place on April 16 in Gadchinchale village in Kasa area. These three policemen, along with five other cops, were suspended few days after the incident. 

It is to be noted that CID is currently probing this matter and 150 people have been arrested so far for their alleged involvement in this case. The CID has filed 2 chargesheets in this case.

On August 11, a local court had granted default bail to 28 accused in this case as no chargesheet was filed against them within the specified 90 days.

The 28 accused were arrested as part of the first two FIRs relating to murder and attempt to murder filed in the case. However, of this group, only 10 will get bail while the remaining 18 will be taken into custody again as their names figure in the third chargesheet, filed on August 3 before the Dahanu court, relating to obstructing police, rioting and attempt to murder filed against 47 accused.

On the night of April 16, Sadhus Kalpavruksha Giri (70) and his assistant Sushilgiri Maharaj (35) and their driver Nilesh Telgade (30) were killed while en route from Mumbai to Surat for a funeral during the lockdown. Taking them as robbers or kidnappers, a huge mob of tribals and villagers attacked them with stones, sticks, and sickles and the trio later succumbed to the grievous injuries, sparking off a nationwide furore.