No SIT probe in CBI judge BH Loya's death case, SC rejects review petition

NEW DELHI: There will be no independent probe in the death of CBI judge BH Loya's death, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday. The apex court dismissed the plea seeking review of its verdict rejecting an SIT probe into the death case. 

A Bench of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said: "We have carefully gone through the Review Petition and the connected papers, but we see no reason to interfere with the order impugned. The Review Petition is, accordingly, dismissed."

The SC had on April 19 dismissed a batch of petitions seeking an independent investigation into the death case. The apex court had said that there was no reason to disbelieve the judicial officers in the death case and ruled that investigation revealed that he died of natural causes.

The top court of the country also said that frivolous and motivated petitions should be discouraged. The top court in its April 19 judgment had said: "It gives a sense of anguish that the proceedings were converted to scandalise the judiciary bordering on contempt."

However, the Bombay Lawyers Association had filed a petition seeking a review of the said judgment. In its review petition, Bombay Lawyers Association had said: "judgment has resulted in miscarriage of justice, if not complete negation of justice on the facts of the case. It is therefore clearly required in the interests of justice that the judgment and order in question be reviewed and recalled".

Judge Loya died of a cardiac failure on December 1, 2014. At the time of his death, the late special CBI judge was presiding over the trial in a case related to the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in an alleged staged shootout in November 2005 near Gandhinagar in which the now BJP chief Amit Shah was an accused. Amit Shah was later discharged from the case.