The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed petitions demanding an independent probe into the death of Justice BH Loya stating they had "no merit". The bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said that the petitioners were attempting to malign the judiciary and there was "no reason to doubt the statements of the sitting judges". The bench said Loya's death was "natural". Justice Loya had been hearing the alleged Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case when he died on 1 December, 2014. BJP Chief Amit Shah among others was named in the case and later discharged.