SC denies urgent hearing on plea for independent probe into Pul’s death

Kalikho Pul

New Delhi, March 3 – The Supreme Court on Friday denied urgent hearing on a PIL seeking independent investigation into the alleged suicide of former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul.

A bench comprising Chief Justice J.S. Khehar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice S.K. Kaul refused to grant urgent hearing in a public interest litigation filed by an advocate M.L. Sharma, who also sought probe into the role of some
lawyers who were allegedly espousing the cause of Pul’s wife Dangwimsai Pul.

Kalikho Pul was found dead on August 9, 2016, at his official residence in Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar, days after he had to step down as Chief Minister following a Supreme Court order. He left behind a 60-page note in which he accused several top politicians and Supreme Court Judges of seeking bribe.

The lawyer alleged “criminal conspiracy” to defame the highest judiciary of the country.

The plea said: “Impugned documents (note by Kalikho) is not last minute written suicide note as it’s a typed script of 60 pages and found in 4 volumes in the house. It cannot be termed even as dying declaration/suicide notes in any manner. It is a case of plantation such document to acquire judiciary and to malign judicial systems for oblique interest. Using a forged documents as genuine is an offence and holding it for further use is also offence.”

On February 23, Pul’s wife had withdrawn her letter from the Supreme Court for CBI or NIA probe into the allegations levelled in her husband’s purported suicide note.