A day after the Maharashtra Police arrested 18 more people in connection to the Palghar lynching case, one of the lawyers who was handling the case was killed in a car accident, the Palghar Police said on Thursday.
Advocate Digvijay Trivedi, who was a part of the legal team representing the VHP sadhus killed in last month’s mob lynching case, was on Wednesday morning travelling with co-counsel Preeti Trivedi in a car on Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway (NH 48) when the incident took place.
Digvijay was killed on the spot, while his colleague Preeti Trivedi was taken to the nearby hospital in critical condition
While the local police registered a case of accidental death, speculations were that it could be a premeditated attack. The VHP has reportedly demanded CID to probe into the matter. Further investigation is underway.
Late Digvijay Trivedi and Co-Counsel Preeti Trivedi were travelling in a four wheeler being driven by him on NH 48. Prima facie he unfortunately lost control of the vehicle and they met with an accident. Preeti Trivedi is injured seriously & has been hospitalised. https://t.co/mqDnHc3czr
— Palghar Police (@Palghar_Police) May 14, 2020
Palghar Mob Lynching case
On April 16, three men were stopped in Palghar district of Maharashtra while they were headed towards Surat in a car to attend a funeral. They were dragged out of their car and brutally attacked by angry residents of Gadchinchale village.
Videos doing rounds on social media show villagers armed with sticks and stones also attacking a police team as they try to control the situation and rescue the victims. The deceased were identified as Chikne Maharaj Kalpavrukshagiri (70), Sushilgiri Maharaj (35), and their car driver Nilesh Telgade (30).
The case was eventually handed over to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) who have arrested at least 24 people in the case as of yet.
