PIL in Bombay High Court seeks judicial probe into death of CBI judge BH Loya

Mumbai: A PIL was filed on Monday in the Bombay High Court seeking a judicial probe into the 2014 death of special CBI judge Brijgopal Harikrishan Loya, who was then hearing the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case. In its plea, the Bombay Lawyers’ Association has sought setting up a commission of enquiry headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to go into the circumstances leading to Loya’s death. Loya died of heart attack in Nagpur on 1 December, 2014, when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague’s daughter. [caption id=“attachment_4293511” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of CBI judge BH Loya. Image courtesy: Facebook[/caption] In November last year, Loya’s death was in spotlight after media reports quoting his sister fuelled suspicion about the circumstances surrounding his death and link to the Sohrabuddin case in which BJP chief Amit Shah, and senior police officials were accused. Shah and many others were later discharged for want of evidence. “We have sought the appointment of a retired judge of the Supreme Court as commission of enquiry to look into the death of judge Loya and submit a report,” the association’s president Ahmad Abdi said. Altogether 23 accused, including police personnel, are facing trial for their involvement in the alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, and subsequent disappearance and death of his wife Kausar Bi and their associate Tulsidas Prajapati in Gujarat in November 2005. The case was later transferred to the CBI and the trial shifted to Mumbai. “It is to be noted that judge Loya died on 1 December, 2014 and on 30 December, 2014, the special CBI court, which was assigned the case, discharged Amit Shah from the case,” the petition said.