An investigation into the mysterious death of CBI judge BH Loya would ensue if the Maharashtra government receives any complaint with substantial evidence, a minister said on Wednesday, January 8.
Judge Loya was presiding over the trial on the role of BJP president Amit Shah and a few police officers in the encounter killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kauser Bi during the time of his death.
The Loya family had been told that he had suffered a major heart attack while he was in Nagpur on November 30, 2014, for the wedding of the daughter of a sitting judge at the Mumbai sessions court, Swapna Joshi.
However, there were speculations of foul play in Judge Loya's death. Five petitions calling for an inquiry were filed in regard to his mysterious death. The former Chief Justice of Delhi High, AP Shah, along with Loya's family wanted an investigation into the "suspicious circumstances" that caused the death of the 48-year-old judge.
The Supreme Court had in April 2018 dismissed all the petitions seeking an independent probe into Judge Loya's death, holding that he died of "natural causes".
Recent developments
NCP spokesperson and state minister Nawab Malik recently spoke about the Loya death case. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai after the NCP held a three-hour-long meeting of its ministers in the Shiv Sena-led government, Malik said, "The government will consider reopening of judge BH Loya death case if any complaint is received with substantial evidence."
The meeting was presided over by NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
If the complaint contains some substance, then only investigation will be done. There will be no inquiry in the matter without any reason, he said.
After the Sena-Congress-NCP government was formed in Maharashtra last year, Pawar was asked whether there will be any probe into the alleged suspicious death of Loya, Mr Malik said.
Pawar had made it very clear that investigation into the case of judge Loya was possible. The state home minister (Anil Deshmukh) had also indicated so, he said.
(With agency inputs.)
