CPM demands Loya's death case verdict must be reviewed by larger bench

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], Apr. 19 (ANI): The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Thursday demanded that Judge Loya's death case verdict should be reviewed by a larger bench of the apex court and termed the today's ruling in the case as an "unfortunate" one.

A bench of apex court earlier in the day, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra dismissed petitions seeking SIT probe into Justice Loya's death case while ruling that he died of natural causes.

"The Supreme Court's rejection of all petitions demanding an independent probe into the death of Judge Loya and holding such petitions as 'scandalous' by a three-member Bench is unfortunate," the party said in a statement.

"The circumstances of Judge Loya's death raised several questions. The CPI-M holds that the matter should be reviewed by a larger bench of the Supreme Court," the statement added.

Delegates from all over the country came here today to attend the 22nd CPI-M. It was held at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram in Hyderabad city.

The court further observed that the petitions were "frivolous and motivated" and filed to settle political rivalry.

Justice Loya was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, involving various police officers and BJP chief Amit Shah, before his death in December 2014.

As per the official records, Justice Loya died of cardiac arrest in Nagpur in 2014, a day after he attended wedding and reception of his colleague's daughter.

Maharashtra-based journalist B.S. Lone and activist Tehseen Poonavala had filed independent pleas seeking a fair probe into his death alleging that he died under mysterious circumstances. (ANI)