United Opposition Led by Rahul Gandhi Takes Judge Loya's Death Probe Demand to President

New Delhi: Representatives from 15 opposition parties led by Congress president Rahul Gandhi submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday, demanding the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death of CBI judge BH Loya.

The memorandum, signed by 114 parliamentarians, asked for a Supreme Court-monitored probe, but asserted that officials of the CBI or the NIA should not be a part of the investigation team. "We know how the CBI and the NIA function," Congress leader Kapil Sibal said.

Gandhi, holding a press conference after meeting the President, said there was a sense of discomfort in the House over the direction of the case and they met Kovind to give him that sense.

"A judge died under suspicious circumstances. It will be an ode to him and his family that the investigation takes place properly. We just want investigation to be done by an independent body as we feel suspicious. We want a proper investigation and a proper outcome. We got a positive response from the President,” he told mediapersons.

Sibal echoed the words of the Congress president and said that if a Special Investigation Team can be formed for the 2G case, then one can also be formed for a probe into Judge Loya’s death. “We don’t believe in the CBI or the NIA,” he said.

When asked about the need for demanding a separate probe as the SC is already hearing a Public Interest Litigation on the issue, Sibal said that such matters cannot be decided through PILs. “There is no investigation in the Supreme Court,” he said.

While the Congress has demanded a SC-monitored probe in the case earlier too, this is the first time that the opposition has come together to put pressure on the government. “It is in the interest of the people of the country we need independent investigation,” Left’s D Raja said.

Special CBI judge Loya, who was hearing the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case, had died of a heart attack in November 2014 in Nagpur when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague's daughter. Later, political parties, including the Congress, alleged that he died in mysterious circumstance and demanded an investigation into it.