Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Subramanian Swamy has once again stirred political debate by repeating serious allegations related to the death of Judge B.H. Loya, saying that many people within his own party believe that the death was not natural.
Speaking in a recent podcast interview, Swamy claimed that there is a widespread belief inside the Bharatiya Janata Party that Home Minister Amit Shah was involved in the incident. During the conversation, Swamy made a strong remark while referring to Shah’s political influence and then linked it to the Judge Loya case. He said that he felt helpless and suggested that fear and ambition for political posts were reasons why others in the party remained silent.
Swamy’s remarks are not new. Over the years, he has raised similar allegations in interviews and on social media, repeatedly calling for a fresh investigation into Judge Loya’s death. However, his statements have never been backed by any official inquiry findings. 
Judge B. H. Loya was presiding over the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, in which Amit Shah was named as an accused. In June 2014, Loya was appointed to the special CBI court after the earlier judge, J.T. Utpat, was removed. Loya had allowed Shah exemption from personal court appearances except on specific occasions. In November 2014, Loya reportedly questioned Shah’s absence at a hearing and fixed December 15 for the next hearing.
On November 30, 2014, Judge Loya travelled to Nagpur to attend a wedding. He stayed at a state government guest house and reportedly complained of chest pain early the next morning. He was taken to hospitals and was declared dead at 6.15 am on December 1. The official cause of death was recorded as cardiac arrest.
The issue gained national attention in 2016 after The Caravan published interviews with Loya’s family members, who raised doubts about the circumstances surrounding his death. These concerns led to petitions being filed in the Supreme Court of India seeking an independent probe.
In April 2018, the Supreme Court dismissed the petitions and ruled that Judge Loya died of natural causes. The court described the petitions as frivolous and driven by political motives, and strongly defended the independence of the judiciary.
Following the verdict, the BJP maintained that the matter was settled, while opposition parties criticised the ruling. The party has largely remained silent on Swamy’s repeated statements and has neither officially rebutted them nor taken disciplinary action against him.
