Thane (Maharashtra):The prosecution in the Palghar mob lynching case has filed an application in a special court in Thane, seeking that two separate FIRs registered in connection with the incident be merged and tried as one.
Two seers and their driver were lynched by a mob at Gadchinchale village in Palghar district on April 16, 2020, when they were travelling in a car to Surat (Gujarat) to attend a funeral amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
In an application filed last week in the special court hearing mob lynching cases, special public prosecutor Satish Maneshinde referred to the two FIRs in the incident - one which is registered under IPC section 302 (murder) and another under section 307 (attempt to murder) and others.
Read: Palghar lynching case: SC asks Maharashtra Police to place fresh charge sheet on record
The copy of the application submitted last week was made available on Thursday. In the application, the prosecution said that both the FIRs pertain to the same incident. Investigation in these cases has been completed and though separate charge sheets have been filed in the high court, the accused and the evidence were common, it said.
The brutal mob attack had taken place amid rumours that child-lifters were roaming in the area during the lockdown. Investigation into the case was later handed over to the CID. The victims were identified by the police as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70), Sushil Giri Maharaj (35) and their driver Nilesh Telgade (30). The state CID has said that it has arrested more than 250 accused and detained a dozen juveniles in connection with the incident.
Read: Court grants bail to 89 accused in Palghar mob lynching case
PTI
