Court Grants Bail To 53 Accused In Palghar Mob Lynching Case

A special court in Thane on Thursday granted bail to 53 persons arrested in the Palghar mob lynching case, in which two sadhus and their driver were killed at a village in Maharashtra's Palghar district.

District judge P P Jadhav in his order granted the accused bail with a surety of Rs 15,000 each.

Earlier this month, the court had granted bail to four persons, including a man and his two sons, in the case.

On April 16, 2020, a mob lynched two sadhus - Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70) and Sushilgiri Maharaj (35) - and their driver Nilesh Telgade (30) at Gadchinchale in Palghar district, 140 km north of Mumbai.

While the two monks were travelling to Gujarat in a car for a funeral, the mob suspected that they were thieves.

A total of 201 persons were arrested in the infamous case, of which 57 have been granted bail.

Appearing for the accused, advocates Amrut Adhikari and Atul Patil submitted in the court that the applicants had no role to play in the incident, and they had been arrested on mere suspicion.

Special public prosecutor Satish Maneshinde appeared for the prosecution, while advocate PN Ojha appeared for the family of the sadhus.

Bail applications of the other accused will be decided now on December 5, the court stated.