Terming the Supreme Courts decision in special CBI judge B.H. Loyas death case as "unfortunate", the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Thursday demanded that the case be heard by a larger bench of the apex court.

"The Supreme Court's rejection of all petitions demanding an independent probe into the death of Judge Loya and holding such petitions as 'scandalous' by a three-member Bench is unfortunate," the party, whose 22nd Congress is in session here, said in a statement.

"The circumstances of Judge Loya's death raised several questions. The CPI-M holds that the matter should be reviewed by a larger bench of the Supreme Court," it added.

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed petition seeking SIT probe into the death of Judge Loya who was earlier holding trial in the Shorabuddin Sheikh staged shoot out case.

Holding that there was absolutely no merit in the petition, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, said that Judge Loya had met a natural death.