The Maharashtra Police’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) investigating the gruesome lynching of Sadhus in Palghar have filed two separate charge sheets totalling nearly 12,000 pages, naming over 250-plus accused.
“Yes, the charge sheets have been filed before the Palghar Sessions Court. Each runs into some 6,000-pages and have named 126 accused each,” Special Public Prosecutor Satish Maneshinde told IANS.
In the charge sheet, the lynching of Hindu Sadhus have been attributed to rumour-mongering and the murder had no religious angle to the crime.
The lynching of the two men in saffron cloths was captured on video and shook the conscience of the entire nation. Three men were brutally attacked right in front of the police who stood as spectators.
The filing of the charge sheets signifies the end of the investigations into the lynching near Gadchinchale village in the district.
However, the investigation will continue into other related aspects of the triple crime on the night of April 16.
The names of the three men who were beaten to death were Kalpavrikshagiri Maharaj (70) his assistant Sushilgiri Maharaj (35) of the Juna Akhada, and their driver Nilesh Telgade (30).
They were on their way to Gujarat Surat for a funeral during the lockdown. It has been alledged that these men were mistaken as robbers or kidnappers and a huge mob surrounded the police station.
These men were beaten with stones and sticks by a mob of more than 100 people in front of the police.
On Tuesday (July 14) Additional Sessions Judge D N Keluskar rejected the bail pleas by 25 accused in the case. The prosecution had gathered pieces of evidence against the accused.
The evidence includes videos, mobile Call Data Records, CCTV evidence recorded by the Forest Department check-post, bloodstains and possible fingerprints and other technical evidence against the accused.