 "CP Radhakrishnan takes oath as Vice President of India")
 "Wife and son watching, Indian-origin man beheaded at US motel; suspect illegal migrant, arrested")
Justice Loya death hearing Latest Updates: Reactions came in from all political quarters as the Supreme Court dismissed all PILs seeking a SIT probe in Judge Loya’s death on Thursday. While BJP was quick to circle-in Congress over their “political motives” to raise suspicion over Loya’s death, the Opposition showed disappointment over the verdict and termed it as a “black day” for the judiciary. Earlier, reacting to the Supreme Court ruling, the executive editor of The Caravan tweeted and said that the magazine stands by “all 22 stories” that they did on Judge BH Loya and death. Vinod K Jose wrote: “Will have to wait till one reads the whole judgment on the specifics. But Caravan magazine stands by each of its 22 stories. The stories speak for itself. And we will follow journalistically the qns that continue to puzzle the circumstances of Judge Loya’s death.” Addressing the media, lawyer Prashant Bhushan said that the Supreme Court has rejected all the petitions seeking independent probe into Justice BH Loya’s death. “Despite all the evidences presented in front of the court, the bench still rejected all the peitions. It’s a black day,” says Prashant Bhushan. If a district judge dies under suspicious conditions and the petitioners demand an independent probe, how is that political in nature, asks Bhushan. “It’s a wrong decision according to me and I think it’s a black day in the history of Supreme Court of India,” Bhushan further adds. Supreme Court of India has dismissed all writ petitions which sought independent probe in Judge Loya’s death. Live Law reported that the three-judge bench comrising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice AM Khanwilkar pronounced the verdict and also made several observations. Senior Counsel Dushyant Dave, Indira Jaising and V Giri had appeared on behalf of the Bombay Lawyers’ Association, Former chief of the navy Admiral L Ramdas, an intervenor, and Activist Tehseen Poonawalla respectively. Slamming the petitions and calling them scandalous in nature, the Supreme Court said that the attempt of the petitioners was to malign the judiciary. Special CBI judge BH Loya died in December 2014 while hearing the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case. However, a clutch of petitions were filed before the apex court, calling for an inquiry into Loya’s death. The court had said it would order an investigation if there was ground for suspicion. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud had on 16 March reserved the judgement on the pleas. Loya had allegedly died of cardiac arrest in Nagpur on 1 December, 2014, when he was attending the wedding of a colleague’s daughter.
As reported by NDTV
, the court in February this year said it was looking into “every aspect of the documents and material in minute detail” after it was asked to order an investigation in “public interest” by the lawyer representing the petitioners. [caption id=“attachment_4314641” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
File image of CBI judge BH Loya. Image courtesy: Facebook[/caption] The Maharashtra government had argued in the court that all pleas seeking an independent probe into Loya’s death were motivated and aimed at targeting “one individual” in the guise of upholding the rule of law. It had come down heavily on alleged accusations, bullying and browbeating of judges in the top court by some activist lawyers in the Loya case and said that the judiciary and judicial officers need to be saved from such averments. Meanwhile, those seeking an independent probe into the matter had referred to the sequence of events to highlight that a fair investigation was needed to rule out any foul play in the death. The issue of Loya’s death had come under spotlight in November last year after media reports quoting his sister had fuelled suspicion about the circumstances surrounding it and its link to the Sohrabuddin case. But Loya’s son had on 14 January said in Mumbai that his father had died of natural causes. In the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, BJP president Amit Shah along with Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria, Rajasthan-based businessman Vimal Patni, former Gujarat police chief PC Pande, Additional Director General of Police Geeta Johri and Gujarat police officers Abhay Chudasama and NK Amin have already been discharged. Several accused, including police personnel, are currently facing trial for their involvement in the alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his wife Kausar Bi and their associate Tulsiram Prajapati in Gujarat in November 2005. The case was later transferred to CBI and the trial shifted to Mumbai. A batch of pleas, including those filed by Congress leader Tehseen Poonawala and Maharashtra-based BS Lone, was filed in the top court seeking an independent probe into Loya’s death in 2014. Four senior-most apex court judges — Justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph — at their 12 January press conference had questioned the manner in which sensitive cases were being allocated and Loya’s case was one of them.
Judge Loya verdict updates: BJP claims Congress' 'political vendetta' stands exposed; Opposition terms it as 'black day' for judiciary
The Supreme Court will most likely pronounce its verdict on whether to have an independent investigation into the death of special CBI judge BH Loya, who died in December 2014 while hearing the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.
)
Rahul Gandhi hits back at BJP, says Indians are ‘intelligent’ will know the ’truth’ about Amit Shah
Nitin Gadkari says SC verdict ’exposes’ Congress and some media houses ‘ugly politics’
Gadkari said that Supreme Court’s judgment has exposed Congress and some media houses’ ugly politics which was done to unnecessarily malign BJP’s image by targeting party president Amit Shah.
Minister of State, PMO Jitendra Singh says Rahul Gandhi should apologise to Amit Shah
“If you’re doubting credentials of the Judiciary, then you are also doubting the credentials of all the investigations and evidences. I think Rahul Gandhi should apologise to Amit Shah”, Singh told ANI .
Ravi Shankar Prasad too hits out at Congress, says the latter shouldn’t fight political battles in court
“This case was not activated to serve public interest but to serve the interests of Congress and damage the interests of BJP, our party president Amit Shah in particular”, Prasad said in a press conference. “Court said political battles must be fought on political grounds. It clearly means that the case was fought as political battle against our party president Amit Shah. I urge Rahul Gandhi not to fight political battles through corridors of court”, Prasad said in a press conference.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala calls the SC verdict ‘a sad day in India’s history’, says it leaves many questions unanswered
“The verdict marks a sad day in India’s history. The Supreme Court verdict has left many questions unanswered. There were discrepancies in the post-mortem report, even in recording the name of the victim properly”, Surjewala said in a press conference.
Rajnath Singh attacks Congress for using the judiciary to defame the BJP government
“It is unfortunate that the judiciary has been used to settle a political score. This should not happen, but our political opponents used this to defame government, our leaders and judiciary, Singh said.
Congress leader Salman Khurshid accepts SC verdict but terms it as ‘deeply disappointing for people’
“Many-many people would be deeply disappointed but this is the Supreme Court and if Supreme Court takes a view we have to accept it and respect it,” he told ANI .
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy asks for Rahul Gandhi’s apology, accuses Congress of maligning the judiciary
“Rahul Gandhi should apologise, but I doubt. They are habitual liars. They accused RSS of Gandhi’s assassination whereas its name isn’t even there in the FIR. They have definitely maligned the judiciary. If they bring in an impeachment motion, they will lose it,” he said.
Verdict exposes Congress, Rahul Gandhi: Yogi Adityanath
“The verdict has exposed the Congress once again. Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the people of the country. They have tried to create such an environment that develops negative emotions,” Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told ANI.
BJP uses Supreme Court verdict to slam Rahul and Congress
Bharatiya Janata Party used the verdict of the Supreme Court on the judge BH Loya’s death case to slam the Congress, Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition parties for maligning the name of the BJP chief Amit Shah. Addressing the media, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the Congress has stooped so low that it has not even spared the judiciary. “They have dragged the judiciary in political slugfest. This is the lowest point in Rahul Gandhi’s political career,” Patra said.
Bharatiya Janata Party holds press conference after Supreme Court rules PILs in Judge Loya’s death case ‘political in nature’
How is seeking independent probe into judge’s death politically motivated, asks Prashant Bhushan
Addressing the media, lawyer Prashant Bhushan said that despite evidences being presented to the Supreme Court, the court chose to reject all writ petitions and ruled that the petitions don’t hold merit. Bhushan also reacted to Supreme Court’s observation where it termed the petition as politically-motivated and asked how is “seeking independent probe into the ‘suspicious’ death of a district judge, politically motivated?”
He adds that it is unfortunate that the court is believing four judicial officers who had not signed affidavits. Bhushan had alleged foul play in the death of the judge.
Caravan’s executive editor says magazine stands by each of its 22 stories
“Will have to wait till one reads the whole judgment on the specifics. But Caravan magazine stands by each of its 22 stories. The stories speak for itself. And we will follow journalistically the qns that continue to puzzle the circumstances of Judge Loya’s death.”
Supreme Court makes strong observations about senior advocates’ conduct
Taking names of Senior advocates — Dushyant Dave, Indira Jaisingh, Prashant Bhushan and juniors of Senior advocate VGiri, Supreme Court expressed anguish and made strong observations for their conduct during the hearing of the Loya case.
No merit in the petition: Supreme Court
No merit in the petition. No independent inquiry was required: Supreme Court says and dismisses the petitions for STI probe into judge Loya’s death.
Even Supreme Court judges weren’t spared: Bench
“Serious attacks were made again at the judges of Bombay HC. Even the judges of this court (SC) were not spared, which is a serious concern,” observed the Supreme Court.
Live Law reported:
“There is no reason to disbelieve the sequence of events leading to the death as narrated by the four judicial officers namely Shrikant Kulkarni, Shriram Modak, R. Rathi and Vijay Kumar Barde and the assertions of Bombay High Court Justices Bhushan Gawai and Sunil Shukre, said the Bench.”
Dushyant Dave, Indira Jaising and V Giri appeared for petitioners
Senior Counsel Dushyant Dave, Indira Jaising and V. Giri had appeared on behalf of the Bombay Lawyers’ Association, Former chief of the navy Admiral L. Ramdas, an intervenor, and Activist Tehseen Poonawalla respectively.
PIL jurisdiction has been misused for personal agenda: Supreme Court
According to Live Law, Supreme Court also expressed anguish over misuse of PIL jurisdiction by the petitioners and interveners. The top court also said that that PIL jurisdiction has been misused for personal agenda.
‘PILs are scandalous and amount to criminal contempt’
The Supreme Court, while ruling on Judge Loya’s death, used the word scandalous to describe the petitions. Reportedly the bench also said that the petitions amount to criminal contempt.
There is absolutely no merit in the writ petitions; Judge Loya ‘s death was natural: Supreme Court
Attempt of the petitioners was to malign judiciary: Supreme Court
There is no reason to disbelieve the Judicial Officers, the Supreme Court bench noted while reading the judgment. Live Law reported that the Supreme Court said that Dushyant Dave has gone to the extent of insinuating the judicial officers based on unrelated cases.
Among other observations made by Supreme Court, the attempt of the petitioners was to malign judiciary. “Frivolous and motivated petitions should be discouraged. Business rivalries and political rivalries should be settled outside,” Live Law quoted the bench as saying.
Justice Chandrachud starts reading Judgment in Judge Loya Case