Overview
- The Supreme Court stayed paragraph 24 of its September 11 ruling that required a Special Investigation Team of senior police officers from both Hindu and Muslim communities.
- Issuing notice on Maharashtra’s review petition, the bench listed the case after four weeks following a split view on review by Justices Sanjay Kumar and S. C. Sharma.
- Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued the court could itself select SIT members and noted the petitioners had not sought a religion-based composition.
- The state said it accepts the rest of the September judgment, which criticized police lapses, directed registration of an FIR, and called for disciplinary and sensitization measures.
- The case stems from the May 2023 Akola violence, where petitioner Mohammad Afzal alleged assault and police inaction after witnessing the killing of Vilas Mahadevrao Gaikwad.