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Court grants bail to 53 accused in Sadhu lynching case

In the sadhu lynching case of April 2020 that ignited the uproar of thousands across the country, a sessions court in Maharashtra has now granted bail to 54 people accused in the matter.

Special Sessions Judge, P. P. Jadhav passed an order on Thursday granting the bail plea of 54 accused with a surety of Rs. 15,000 each. 

Amongst these 54, 8 were those who were arrested hours after the horrendous murder incident of the two sadhus and their driver, according to Amrut Adhikari, the defence lawyer representing the accused. The rest 46 were consequently arrested by the CID as and when the investigation got deeper and more associated names surfaced. 

Amrut Adhikari was joined by lawyer Atul Patil in standing for the farmers or tribals booked in the case. The duo presented their argument with the point that their clients had been arrested solely based on suspicion and not any solid evidence. 

In the 3 separate charge sheets filed by the CID pertaining to this case, 238 people in total have been picked up until now while the number also includes 11 minors. 

Out of all the 238, 77 adults and 9 minors accused have been released on bail. However, reportedly 135 of them are on the run. 

Appearing on behalf of the CID was Satish Maneshinde, Special Public while advocate P.N Ojha represented the families of the deceased sadhus.

According to the accused’s lawyer Adhikari, the Palghar police and CID have jointly arrested 229 people out of which, 28 accused haven’t been filed under a chargesheet. 

He further added that from the remaining 201, 86 accused have so far been granted bail, including minors. 

He concluded saying that petitions for the bail of rest of the accused are presumed to be scheduled for hearing on December 5th with the Thane Court itself. 

The outrage from the nation took its worst form when a mob of over 300 people lynched 2 Sadhus and their driver to death on suspicion of organ trafficking of children. 

70 yr old Chikne Maharaj and 35 yr old Sushil Giri Maharaj were a part of the Shri Panch Dashnam Juna Akhara and were brutally murdered with lathis and sticks along with their driver, Nilesh Telgade, aged 30 years. The incident took place outside the Gadchinchale village of Dahanu tehsil in Palghar district, about 135 kms away from Mumbai. 

Most of the accused were residents of the village where the incident happened while others belonged to the adjoining villages of Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, which is hardly 500 metres away from the crime site.

According to rumours, the mob attacked the Sadhus after the village received news of certain people aiming to steal kidneys of children for selling in the black market. The villagers allegedly assumed the Sadhus to be the kidnappers in disguise.