The Maharashtra CID, has filed a charge sheet against two minors in a probe of Palghar mob lynching. They were accused in a court at Bhiwandi in Thane district. The official said that the charge sheet was filed on Friday at the juvenile court.
Previous month, the Criminal Investigation Department(CID) had filed two charge sheets first one running into 4,955 pages and another of 5,921 pages. In all, 11 juveniles detained in connection with the incident and 154 have been arrested. Police said that ” The charge sheet against two minor accused was filed at the Bhiwandi juvenile court on Friday.”
On April 16, at Gadchinchale village in Palghar two monks and their driver was lynched by mob, when they were travelling in a car to Surat (Gujarat) to attend a funeral. The incident took place during the lock down and in the midst of rumors that child-lifters were roaming in the area.
The accused in the case were charged with murder, armed rioting and using criminal force to prevent a public servant from doing their duty. Besides that sections of the Indian Penal code (IPC), the accused were put under relevant provisions of the Disaster Management Act, the Epidemic Disease Act(since lock down was in force during the incident), the Maharashtra Police Act and the Maharashtra Damage to public property(Prevention) Act, the release said.
After the incident the government suspended Kasa police station in-charge Anandrao Kale, under whose jurisdiction the crime took place, and some policemen, including sub-inspectors. In addition to over 35 police constables and personnel of other ranks were transferred.
The State Government had also sent the then Palghar district police chief, Gaurav Singh, on forced leave. The FIRs, armed rioting and other charges were registered in connection to the incident.
