Supreme Court under pressure in Loya’s case: Prashant Bhushan

NAGPUR: In a straight attack on country’s top judiciary, senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan said the Supreme Court was under pressure while dealing with former CBI judge Brijgopal Harikishan Loya’s death case.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, he categorically ruled out former judge’s death due to heart attack, but refused to term it as a ‘murder’. Though he named BJP President Amit Shah as ultimate beneficiary of Loya’s mysterious death, he declined to directly name him behind it.

The noted anti-corruption crusader however contradicted himself while listing out two counts on Loya’s death. Citing senior forensic expert from AIIMS RK Singh’s observation that death was not due to heart attack, Bhushan said it suggested head injury as cause after examining post-mortem reports. He made a startling revelation that the judge may had been administered poison through drinks when he attended marriage (of justice Swapna Joshi’s son) in Nagpur on December 1, 2014.

“I am surprised that the top court was hearing Loya’s death case since a month, simply on the basis of statements made by four judges, which has hardly any sanctity without affidavit. I spoke with many top cardiologists, who ruled out heart attack as well.”

Bhushan questioned police’s decision to shift Loya initially to Dr Dande’s hospital which had a specialization for orthopaedic surgeries.

On his meeting with former judge Prakash Thombre and lawyer Shrikant Khandalkar in 2014, regarding threats received by Loya, as alleged by former union minister Kapil Sibal, he surprisingly refused to identify them by names. Both later died under mysterious circumstances, after the judge’s death.

Speaking on various controversies surrounding Aam Admi Party (AAP), of which he was one of the founders, Bhushan said it had turned into any other political party just like Congress and BJP. “We had formed it with a view to provide an alternative to other political parties. Many leading people, who never entered into politics, had joined us. Unfortunately, AAP squandered all these advantages and deviated from its primary objective of providing clean and transparent government. Despite our opposition, they offered tickets to goons and hence, recent controversies didn’t surprise me. AAP has become Arvind Kejriwal’s outfit.”

Bhushan, also a founder members of India Against Corruption (IAC), however clarified that his NGO Swaraj Abhiyan with Yogendra Yadav wouldn’t be entering into politics in near future. “Currently, we’re focusing on campaigns against corruption and Jai Kisan Andolan. I’ve seen emergency days, but never witnessed such worst situation where the BJP government is bent on destroying the institutions like JNU.”

Targeting PM Narendra Modi over Rafale deal, Bhushan said, it was India’s biggest scam surpassing the Bofors where Reliance’s Anil Ambani was ultimate beneficiary. “The first deal with French company Dassault was for supply of 126 fighter jets for Rs54,000 crore that included transfer of technology to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The PM renewed the deal with same company for Rs58,000 crore, but for only 36 aircraft. In this Ambani’s company was granted contract of a whopping Rs22,000 crore to build the jets here. The NDA refused to divulge all details citing secretary clause,” he said.