Palghar Mob Lynching: Transfers of Police Staffs, an Eyewash & Empty Formality

The transfer of police staffs of Kasa police station in Palghar district of Maharashtra, under the jurisdiction of which two Hindu saints and a driver were lynched to death on April 16, 2020, seems to be an empty formalities and eyewash by the Maharashtra Government.

The Palghar Superintendent of Police had on April 28, 2020 transferred altogether 47 staffs of the Kasa police station.   

Those transferred included Assistant Sub-Inspectors, Head Constables, Police Naik and other constabulary forces. All were transferred to other police stations and headquarters across the district.

The Inspector General of Police, Konkan Range, Niket Kaushik had suspended the police station in-charge Anand Rao Kale and a second officer of the police station pending enquiry in the incident.

Surprisingly, 47 policemen were transferred to the Kasa police station with immediate effect, the officials of the Kasa police station have been relieved of their charge.

However, the Maharashtra CM, Uddhav Thackeray, has assured swift action and arrest of those responsible for the incident.

Although, the case has been transferred to the CID for further investigation, but the experts believe that a possible mishandling of the facts cannot be ruled out.

Meanwhile, a Mumbai based advocate, Ghanshyam Upadhyay, has filed a petition in the Mumbai High Court t seeking the transfer of investigation from Crime Investigation Department, Maharashtra to the National Investigation Agency.

The Petitioner has mentioned in the petition that he was deeply pained by the brutal murder of two Hindu saints and their driver.

Expressing the skepticism due to the involvement of the policemen in the Palghar lynching case, Advocate Upadhyay stated the inability of the CID in investigations, quoting the Bhim Koregaon incident.