Bombay High Court to hear PIL plea for judge Loya death probe

Petition was filed by the Bombay Lawyers Association seeking an enquiry into the events and circumstances surrounding the death of justice Loya in the light of a news report.

A file picture of people demanding a probe into Justice Loya’s death.

The Bombay High Court will hear on January 23 a plea filed by lawyers seeking a probe by a retired Supreme Court judge into the death of judge B.H. Loya.

A Division Bench of Justices S.C. Dharmadhikari and B.H. Dangre was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by the Bombay Lawyers Association seeking an enquiry into the events and circumstances surrounding the death of Loya in the light of a news report.

The PIL mentions the chronology of the events: death of Sohrabuddin, his wife Kausar Bi, his aide Tulsiram Prajapati, the

transfer of judge J.T. Utpat and coming in of judge Loya. The PIL then quotes the article in

The

Caravan magazine on November 21, 2017, about Loya’s sister Anuradha Biyani questioning her brother’s death.

The plea also points out how judge Loya confided to his sister that the then Chief Justice of the High Court, Mohit Shah, had offered him a bribe of ₹ 100 crore in return for a favourable judgment, as per the news article. The petition quotes the article in which Anuradha says that she recounts the day when BJP Minister Amit Shah was discharged in the case and it was soon after the new judge came on board.

Counsel for the association told the court that the matter must be heard urgently as there are many rumours and versions behind the death of Loya. The Bench will now hear the matter on January 23.