Palghar lynching case: 15 policemen punished with pay cuts, 2 sent on compulsory retirement, Maharashtra tells Supreme Court

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Wednesday filed a status report in the Supreme Court stating that 15 police personnel were punished with pay cuts and two sent on compulsory retirement in connection with the Palghar mob lynching incident.

"Departmental inquiry was ordered against police personnel, who have been prima-facie found negligent and derelict in the performance of their duties in handling the incident and preventing the commission of a crime at and around the time of the incident," the status report said.

It said the departmental inquiry against police personnel has been completed, adding that after completion of the departmental inquiry against the delinquent police personnel, Special Inspector General of Police, Konkan Range has issued show-cause notices to the police personnel.

After the police personnel replied to the show-cause notices, Special Inspector General of Police, Konkan Range issued the final order on August 21 imposing punishment upon the delinquent police personnel.

As per which, Anandrao Shivaji Kale, Assistant Police Inspector, ordered the dismissal from service, Ravindra Dinkar Salunkhe, Assistant Police sub-inspector and Naresh Nageen Dondi, driver police head constable have been ordered compulsory retirement from government service. Fifteen police personnel were ordered pay cut as a punishment, it added.

Badrinarayan Deshmukh, Assistant Inspector General of Police (law and order), Mumbai, Maharashtra, has filed the status report in the case, pursuant to the top court`s order, and said that Criminal Investigation Department, Pune, after conducting a thorough investigation has filed two charge sheets against 252 accused persons on July 15 before the court in district Palgarh and juvenile court in district Thane.

Earlier, the apex court had asked the Maharashtra government to bring on record the chargesheet and details of the inquiry against police officials in connection with the Palghar mob lynching incident.

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan was hearing several petitions seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and registration of FIR against police officials for their alleged failure to prevent the mob from gathering in violation of the lockdown norms.

The bench had asked the Maharashtra Government to bring on-record the details of the inquiry against police personnel, the action was taken against them in the matter, and to bring on-record the charge sheets filed in the Palghar incident.

The public interest litigations (PILs) in the matter are seeking a CBI or a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe in the incident that took place in Palghar district on April 16 this year.

On the night of April 16, 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. 

(With ANI inputs)