Has the Government charged the Police who handed over the Sadhus to the lynch mob?
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered three separate FIRs in connection with the brutal mob lynching of two sadhus and their driver in Palghar district of Maharashtra during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in April 2020. Over the past five years, the case has seen multiple twists and turns, marked by intense political controversy as well as prolonged legal battles in various courts, keeping the incident in the public spotlight [1].
One FIR pertains directly to the murder of the two sadhus and their driver by the mob. The second was filed on the complaint of a police officer who had tried to rescue the victims before they were chased and killed by the attackers. The third FIR relates to a separate incident in which a mob assaulted a police team that had been sent to arrest those accused in the lynching, highlighting the scale of violence and resistance faced by law enforcement during the episode [1].
Three policemen who were earlier suspended in connection with the Palghar mob lynching case in Maharashtra have now been dismissed from service. Those removed include assistant police inspector Anandrao Kale, who was in charge of Kasa Police Station at the time of the incident on April 16, 2020, along with assistant sub-inspector Ravi Salunke and constable Naresh Dhodi [2].
An official said the Inspector General of Police, Konkan Range, issued the dismissal order on Saturday. The three were among eight police personnel who had been suspended following the lynching incident [2].
A special court in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Saturday granted bail to 89 accused in the Palghar mob lynching case, in which two sadhus and their driver were killed, and fixed February 15 as the next hearing date. District judge S.B. Bahalkar allowed the bail pleas after defence counsel argued the accused were arrested on mere suspicion and had no direct role in the violence, also questioning the validity of three FIRs filed in the matter. Of the 201 people arrested so far, 75 main accused remain in jail, while the prosecution was represented by special public prosecutor Satish Maneshinde and the victims’ families by advocate P.N. Ojha [3].
A major row erupted after Kashinath Chaudhari, an NCP-SP leader allegedly accused in the 2020 Palghar lynching case in which two sadhus and their driver were killed, joined the BJP, triggering sharp criticism from the Opposition.
Chaudhari, along with over 3,000 supporters, formally joined the BJP in Dahanu in the presence of MP Hemant Savara and the party’s district president Bharat Rajput, following which the BJP temporarily halted his membership amid the widespread backlash. Chaudhari rubbished the allegations that he was involved in the lynching case [4].
The shocking incidence:
On the night of April 16, 2020, two sadhus and their driver were travelling from Kandivali in Mumbai to Surat, Gujarat, to attend a funeral during the nationwide lockdown when their vehicle was stopped in Gadchinchile village of Palghar. A mob allegedly overturned their vehicle and attacked them in the presence of police personnel, raising serious questions about the failure of law enforcement to prevent the lynching, particularly as the gathering violated lockdown restrictions .
According to allegations later placed before the Supreme Court, police officers removed the three from the overturned vehicle after noting their details—Sushil Giri Maharaj (35), Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrikshagiri (70), and driver Nilesh Telgade (30). However, as the police attempted to shift them into a patrol vehicle, the crowd turned violent, accusing them of being thieves. A mob of 400–500 people armed with sticks, iron rods, axes and stones then attacked the trio, killing all three [1].
References:
[1] CBI registers FIRs in 2020 Palghar mob lynching of sadhus – Oct 16, 2025, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
[2] Palghar mob lynching case: Three cops dismissed from service – 31 Aug 2020, thenewsminute.com
[3] Palghar mob lynching case: Court grants bail to 89 accused in, fixes date of next hearing on Februrary 15 – January 16, 2021, thehindu.com
[4] Maharashtra lynching case accused joins BJP, party halts membership amid row – Nov 18, 2025, indiatoday.in
For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.
- What happened to the culprits who lynched the two sadhus in Palghar, Maharashtra in 2020? What is the current status? - December 23, 2025
- Delhi court orders framing of charges against Cong MP Karti Chidambaram in Chinese visa scam case - December 23, 2025
- Western intelligence suspects Russia is developing a new weapon to target Musk’s Starlink satellites - December 22, 2025
