The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the violence in Mathura on June 2 that left 29 dead and several injured, reported The Hindu. The court said the petitioner has failed to show any evidence that indicates inaction on the part of the Akhilesh Yadav government following the clashes at Jawahar Bagh public park. Following the apex court's decision, the state government ordered a judicial inquiry into the clashes. Former judge Imtiaz Murtaza has been chosen for the one-member probe panel, reported ANI.
Dismissing the plea, Justice Amitava Roy said, "Admittedly, you have not shown us any proof that the State government is inactive or no steps have been taken (for a fair probe) or there is a deficiency in the investigation or there is lack of confidence among the public about the investigation."
The petition had also alleged that several state ministers, the government and the Swadheen Bharat Vidhik Satyagrahi – the group involved in the clashes with the police – were working together. Petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay said the cult followers would not have been able to occupy the ground illegally for around two-and-a-half years without the state's cooperation. The court said the decision to involve CBI in the investigation is the state government's prerogative and not the Centre's.
On February 20, the district magistrate had sent a report stating the ongoings in the ground as per local intelligence department inputs, reported NDTV. The report also included eight letters sent by administration to local police emphasising on the need to take immediate action against the cult and its followers, who, it had said, are bent on "killing or being killed". However, no action was taken till Thursday.
The incident took place when local police tried to evict around 2,000 illegal occupants, following an apex court order. The occupants were reportedly members of the sect, whose leader also died in the gun battle that ensued. Station Officer of Farah Santosh Yadav and Superintendent of Police (City) Mathura Mukul Dwivedi were the policemen reported dead in the violence.
On Monday, the government transferred Mathura's District Magistrate Rajesh Kumar and Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kumar Singh. Police have arrested 368 people in connection with the incident. Investigators have also recovered a huge cache of arms from the site of the clash.
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