New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday dubbed as “serious” the issues raised in the pleas relating to the death of special CBI judge BH Loya, but castigated a senior lawyer for raking up the name of BJP president Amit Shah in the case.
The apex court, which decided to look into “all documents with utmost seriousness” connected with the death of Loya, who was trying the Soharabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, also took umbrage at senior advocate Indira Jaising, who during the hearing, inferred a possible future order that the apex court may gag the media in the case. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, which was hearing two PILS on the Loya’s death in 2014 transferred to itself the two other petitions pending at Nagpur and Mumbai benches of the Bombay High Court.
The bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, restrained all the high courts in the country from entertaining any petition relating to Loya’s death. Loya, who was hearing the sensitive Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, had allegedly died of cardiac arrest in Nagpur December 1, 2014, when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague’s daughter.
The bench asked the parties to catalogue all documents relating to Loya’s death which have not been filed so far, and submit them for its perusal February 2. The bench got irked when senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for a Bombay lawyers’ body, took the name of BJP president Amit Shah during the hearing, alleging that everything has been done to protect him (Shah).
Agencies