SC to Hear Plea for CBI Probe in Mathura Violence Today

New Delhi: The Supreme Court agreed to hear a plea seeking direction to Samajwadi Party-led Uttar Pradesh government to recommend a CBI probe into the horrific violence in Mathura killing two police officers including the Superintendent of Police and over two dozens squatters.

A vacation bench of Justices PC Ghose and Amitava Roy listed the matter, filed by lawyer and Delhi BJP spokesperson Ashwini Upadhyay, for Tuesday after it was mentioned for urgent hearing.

Advocate Kamini Jaiswal, appearing for Upadhyay, said "the evidences at the site are being destroyed after the violence. As per media reports, over 200 vehicles have been burnt".

She sought an urgent hearing saying CBI probe is necessary, looking at the gravity of the violence. The plea was acceded to by the bench.

Twenty nine people, including Mathura SP Mukul Dwivedi and SHO Santosh Kumar Yadav were killed in the clash between the police and encroachers that broke out in the city on June 2 when police tried to evict illegal occupants, believed to be of Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi, from Jawahar Bagh on Allahabad High Court orders.

Upadhyay in his plea said the court may also take suo motu cognizance of the matter and direct the CBI enquiry, as "it is necessary to find out the truth, root cause of the incident and nexus among executive, legislature and the said group".

He also sought a direction to the state and Centre for framing of a uniform policy for compensation for families of the deceased in such cases.

Referring to the extent of the loss of lives and damages, the plea said, "the police recovered 47 guns, 6 rifles and 179 hand grenades from the camp. By June 3, they had arrested 368 people, 120 of whom were charged with creating disturbances.

"This included 196 preventive arrests, including those of 116 women. CBI inquiry is necessary to find out the root cause of the Mathura incident and nexus among the Executive, Legislatures and the extremist group...".

The plea also claimed the union government was ready for a CBI inquiry into the incident but Uttar Pradesh government was developing cold feet in recommending CBI probe.