Uddhav Halted Probe Into Palghar Sadhus Lynching Case At Rahul Gandhi's Orders: Kiran Pawaskar

New Delhi: In a big revelation on the 2020 Palghar Sadhus lynching case, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Kiran Pawaskar has claimed that then sitting CM Uddhav Thackeray halted the probe.

Two sadhus, Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70) and Sushil Giri Maharaj (35), were attacked and allegedly killed by a mob in Gadchinchile village on the night of April 16, 2020 in the presence of police. The sadhus were travelling from Kandivali in Mumbai to Surat to attend a funeral amid the COVID-19-induced nationwide lockdown. Their driver Nilesh Telgade (30) was also killed in the incident. 

Shiv Sena secretary and spokesperson Kiran Pawaskar alleged that Thackeray halted the transfer of 2020 Palghar Sadhus lynching case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the orders of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

"In 2020, sadhus were murdered, back then the CM was Uddhav Thackeray. When the case moved Supreme Court, then there was only one demand and that was to withdraw the inquiry from the state government and hand it over to the CBI. A person who keeps saying that he is a Hindutvadi, son of Balasaheb Thackeray; the same person and the same government stated that this does not need to be handed over to CBI and will remain with the state government," said the Shiv Sena leader.

Pawaskar alleged that Uddhav Thackeray had asked all the party leaders to refrain from speaking on the matter as it is a "sensitive issue". "In a meeting, Uddhav Thackeray said that this Palghar issue is very sensitive and no one (Ministers or leaders) would talk about this outside. The order was given to stay mum. What was the secret behind it? The secret was that Uddhav Thackeray received a call from Rahul Gandhi," said Pawaskar. 

The probe was however later handed over to the CBI, Shiv Sena alleged that delay in handover damaged the probe. CM Eknath Shinde in January this year, handed over cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to kin of three persons. Shinde said his Shiv Sena has now given them assistance from its own funds. Attacking Thackeray, Shinde said that then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has never bothered to meet the kin of these three persons.

In the almost 3 years since the horrific lynching took place, Republic has filed multiple investigative reports in the matter, questioning the role of the police during the incident as well as the probes subsequently conducted by the state police at the time, and facing a witch-hunt and targeting for the said coverage in-turn.