HC raps agencies over progress in Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases

In the light of the fact that investigators in Karnataka managed to complete the investigations in the murders of rationalist MM Kalburgi and journalist Gauri Lankesh and trial has started in one of the cases, the court sought to know how much time the agencies needed.

The Bombay high court on Friday rapped the Maharashtra government and investigating agencies CBI and CID for dragging their feet on the probes into the murders of activists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare in 2013 and 2015, respectively.

The court was informed that while the CBI had filed three charge sheets in the Dabholkar case, the CID had made no progress in the Pansare case.

In the light of the fact that investigators in Karnataka managed to complete the investigations in the murders of rationalist MM Kalburgi and journalist Gauri Lankesh and trial has started in one of the cases, the court sought to know how much time the agencies needed. The court then directed the agencies to file a progress report in two weeks and posted the next hearing for March 30.

A division bench of justices SS Shinde and Manish Pitale, while hearing petitions filed by Smita Pansare and Mukta Dabholkar, kin of the slain activists, was informed by advocate Abhay Nevagi that the investigating agencies had not been able to nail the culprits or conclude investigations. The two women sought a court-monitored probe. The court was informed that while the CBI had filed three charge sheets in the Dabholkar case, the CID had made no progress in the Pansare case.

Additional solicitor general Anil Singh, appearing for the CBI, assured the court that the agency would file a fresh progress report before the next hearing. Advocate Mankunwar Deshmukh also said a progress report would be filed.

After hearing the submissions, the bench said it did not doubt the intentions of the agencies but “the incidents happened in 2013 and 2015... How long will it go on like this?”