Akhilesh orders judicial probe in Mathura clashes

SC refuses to order CBI probe.

In a major development, the Akhilesh government on Tuesday announced a judicial probe into the Jawahar Bagh violence in Mathura in which two police officials were killed on June 2 while trying to remove squatters.

Justice Imtiaz Murtaza (Retd) will head the one-man judicial commission and has been asked to submit its report within two months.

The terms of reference of the inquiry include circumstances which led to the clashes, the failure of intelligence agencies, role of local police and civil officials and other aspects that may have impacted the incident.

The inquiry commission will also suggest ways to prevent such situations form recurring in the future.

The judicial inquiry ordered by the state government is apparently aimed at pre-empting any move to get a CBI inquiry into the Mathura clashes. The BJP has been pressing for a CBI probe into the Mathura clashes to unravel the political angle in the matter.

After the Supreme Court rejected a CBI inquiry into the Mathura clashes earlier on Tuesday, it is likely that the petitioner will move the high court as directed by the apex court.

“From your petition, there is no evidence to suggest there is any lapse on the part of state investigating agency or no steps are being taken for fair probe. Without any evidence that state investigating agencies are not working properly, courts cannot interfere,” a Supreme Court vacation bench, comprising Justices P.C. Ghose and Amitava Roy, said.

The bench said that petitioner Ashwini Upadhaya cannot approach the apex court through a PIL when a plea on similar issue is already pending before the Allahabad high court. “You approach the Allahabad High Court for the remedy,” the bench said.

It further said it was not inclined to pass any order and courts cannot order a CBI probe as “a matter of routine as it is for the state government concerned to decide on the issue of handing over the probe to CBI”.

The government spokesman said that the ongoing inquiry by commissioner Aligarh into the incident has also been stalled with immediate effect.