Death of Judge BH Loya, who was hearing Sohrabuddin case, won't be investigated, Supreme Court said today
The Supreme Court today dismissed the pleas seeking independent probe into the death of special CBI judge B H Loya, who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. Calling petitions for an independent probe "scandalous" and a "frontal attack on the judiciary", a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra also found the petitions in criminal contempt, based on the statement of four Mumbai judges who were with judge Loya at the time and had asserted that he died of natural causes.
Following is the chronology of events leading to today's Supreme Court verdict.December 1, 2014: Judge BH Loya dies of cardiac arrest in Nagpur, where he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague's daughter.
November, 2017: The issue comes under spotlight after media reports quote his sister fuelling suspicion about the circumstances surrounding Loya's death and its link to the Sohrabuddin case.
January 11, 2018: The Supreme Court agrees to hear two pleas seeking independent probe into Loya's death.
January 12: The Supreme Court terms "serious matter" the alleged mysterious death of Loya, seeks response from Maharashtra government.
January 16: The Supreme Court says Maharashtra government can decide which documents relating to the death of Loya could be handed over to the petitioners.
January 22: Terming "serious" the issues raised in the pleas on death of judge BH Loya, the Supreme Court transfers to itself two petitions related to Loya's death from Bombay High Court.
January 31: Former Navy chief Admiral (retd) L Ramdas moves the Supreme Court seeking an independent inquiry into the matter by a panel of retired apex court judges and former police officers.
February 2: The Supreme Court says it was concerned only with the death of Loya and would not go into other aspects including BJP chief Amit Shah's discharge in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case.
February 5: A Mumbai lawyers' body decides to petition Supreme Court, seeking cross-examination of 11 people, including two judges, in connection with judge Loya's death.
February 9: Maharashtra government opposes pleas seeking independent probe into the matter, terming them "motivated" and based on "yellow journalism".
February 12: Maharashtra government tells SC the statements of four judges, who were with Loya on the last day of his life and had termed his death "natural", were "unimpeachable".
February 19: The Supreme Court says it was treating Loya's case with utmost seriousness and for a cause. The same day senior advocates for petitioners say pressure being exerted on them to leave the case.
March 5: The Supreme Court says change of roster in Bombay HC a routine affair, adds questions should not be raised over the change in the judge hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case in the HC.
March 8: The Supreme Court takes umbrage over accusation by senior lawyer for casting aspersions on judges that they were only asking "searching questions" to those who brought the judge Loya death case before it, and not to the Maharashtra government.
March 9: Maharashtra government comes down heavily on alleged accusations, bullying and browbeating of judges in the Supreme Court by some activist lawyers in the Loya death case and said the judiciary and judicial officers need to be saved from such averments.
March 9: Centre for Public Interest Litigation, an intervenor NGO in the case, says Loya may have died due to poisoning as he had complained of chest congestion.
March 12: A Mumbai-based lawyers' body brings on record in SC an order of the Bombay HC to allege that one of the two judges, who had given statement in the Loya death case, had ordered settlement of a criminal case against a top BJP leader in 2014.
March 16: The Supreme Court reserves verdict on pleas for probe into Loya's death
April 19: The Supreme Court dismisses pleas seeking an independent probe into the case, saying attempts were made to scandalise and malign the judiciary by levelling serious allegations against judicial officers and judges of Bombay HC.