‘Judge Loya’s Death Natural’: SC Refuses Independent Probe
Special CBI judge BH Loya was hearing the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.
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The Supreme Court on Thursday, 19 April, dismissed petitions seeking independent probe into the death of special CBI judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya, who was hearing the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case. The Supreme Court judgment slammed the petitioners for “maligning” the judiciary.
Judge Loya died allegedly due to a cardiac arrest in Nagpur on 1 December 2014 when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague’s daughter.
- Reading the judgment, Justice Chandrachud said frivolous and motivated petitions should be discouraged, adding that it was against the judiciary
- Several accused, including police personnel, are currently facing trial for their involvement in the alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Shaikh
PIL is Now Political Interest Litigation: Yogi Adityanath
Reacting to the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Judge Loya case, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said:
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Addresses Media Over SC Verdict
Rahul Gandhi Should Apologise to Amit Shah: Jitendra Singh
Speaking to ANI, Jitendra Singh, MoS PMO said:
Watch: Cong Addresses Media on SC Verdict
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that the verdict marked a “sad day in India's history”.
Truth Has Come Out: Nagpur Doctor Who Received Judge Loya's Body
Dr Prashant Rathi, who received Judge Loya’s body in Nagpur, said that the truth has come out.
Watch: The Quint Explains SC Verdict Over Judge Loya's Death
The Quint's legal correspondent Vakasha Sachdev explains the Judge Loya verdict in less than 90 seconds.
Yogi Slams Rahul After SC Verdict
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi and said that the Supreme Court verdict in the Judge Loya case has “exposed” the Congress once again.
Verdict Will Raise More Questions: Congress
The Congress on Thursday, 19 April, that the Supreme Court judgment dismissing a batch of pleas seeking an independent probe into the mysterious death of special CBI judge BH Loya will raise more questions and leave many of them unanswered unless logical reasons were found.
SC Website Hacked
On the day the Supreme Court dismissed pleas seeking independent probe into the death of Judge BH Loya, the apex court’s website was hacked allegedly by Brazil HackTeam.
Petitioners Unaware of Truth: Nagpur Joint Commissioner of Police
Nagpur’s Joint Commissioner of Police Shivaji Bodke on Thursday, 19 April, said that the investigation into special CBI judge BH Loya’s death case was done professionally, and that the apex court’s decision was based on that. The petitioners were “unaware” of the truth, he added.
Judge Loya died allegedly due to a cardiac arrest in Nagpur on 1 December 2014 when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague’s daughter.
Watch: BJP Addresses Media on SC Verdict Dismissing Independent Probe
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, addressing the media on the Supreme Court’s dismissal of petitions seeking independent probe into Judge Loya’s death, said that petitions were filed to “settle political scores.”
He accused the Congress of trying to “malign” the judiciary, and said that it was a “new low” for the party.
SC Clear That There's No Doubt Over Loya's Death: Mukul Rohatgi
Former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, responding to the Supreme Court’s verdict dismissing independent probe into the death of Judge BH Loya, said that the apex court was “clear that there is no doubt over cause of Judge Loya's death.”
Black Day for Indian Judiciary: Prashant Bhushan
Speaking to ANI after the apex court verdict dismissing independent probe into the death of Judge Loya, Prashant Bhushan said that it was a “black day for the Indian judiciary.”
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SC Bench Slams Advocates for their "Conduct" During Case Hearing
The Supreme Court took the names of senior advocates Dushyant Dave, Indira Jaisingh, and Prashant Bhushan, among others, expressing anguish, and made strong observations for their conduct during the hearing of the Judge Loya case, reported LiveLaw.
The bench said that “serious attacks” were made to the judges of the Bombay High Court, and even judges of the Supreme Court were not spared.
Judge Loya Died a Natural Death: SC
The three-judge Supreme Court bench quoted three instances to conclude that Judge Loya died of natural causes.
1. Indisputable statements of judicial officers
2. Nothing wrong in friends and colleagues sharing same room at Ravi Bhawan
3. Judge Loya called his wife on 30 November, said he was staying at Ravi Bhawan
SC Dismisses PILs Seeking Independent Probe Into Judge Loya's Death
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, dismissed petitions seeking independent inquiry into the death of special CBI judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya.
Reading the judgment, Justice Chandrachud said there was no merit in the petitions, while expressing their anguish by the conduct of the counsel of the petitioners. Frivolous and motivated petitions should be discouraged, he said, adding that it was against the judiciary.
Justice Chandrachud added that business and political rivalries should be settled outside the court. There was absolutely no merit in allegations that Judge Loya’s death was suspicious.
There were clear and consistent statements of judicial officers who accompanied him to Nagpur, he said.
Justice Chandrachud Starts Reading Judgment
Justice Chandrachud starts reading judgment in Judge Loya death case in the Supreme Court, reported LiveLaw.
“The SC has no reason to disbelieve the judicial officers,” Justice Chandrachud said.
According to LiveLaw, Chandrachud said Dushyant Dave, the petitioner’s counsel, has gone to the extent of insinuating the judicial officers based on unrelated cases. He added that the the intent of the petition seeking independent probe was to “malign the judiciary.”
The Case So Far
A batch of pleas – including those by Congress leader Tehseen Poonawala and Maharashtra-based journalist BS Lone – were filed in the Supreme Court seeking an independent probe into Special CBI Judge BH Loya's alleged mysterious death in 2014.
The Maharashtra government had earlier argued in the top court that all pleas seeking an independent probe into Judge Loya's death were motivated and aimed at targeting ‘one individual’ in the guise of upholding the rule of law.
It had come down heavily on the accusations, bullying and browbeating of judges in the apex court by some activist lawyers in the Loya case, and said that the judiciary and judicial officers need to be saved from such averments.
Judge Loya's death came under spotlight in November 2017 after media reports quoting his sister had fuelled suspicion about the circumstances surrounding his death and its link to the Sohrabuddin case. But Loya's son had on 14 January 2018 said that his father had died of natural causes.
Who Were Discharged in the Case Earlier?
In the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, BJP president Amit Shah, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria, Rajasthan-based businessman Vimal Patni, former Gujarat police chief PC Pande, Additional Director General of Police Geeta Johri, and Gujarat police officers Abhay Chudasama and NK Amin have been discharged.
On 23 November 2005, Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi were travelling by bus from Hyderabad to Sangli in Mahrashtra. While on the way, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) stopped the bus and abducted the couple. Three days later, on 26 November, Sohrabuddin was shot dead in what the police called an encounter, but it was later found to be fake by the investigators.
(With inputs from PTI)
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