Bombay HC raps CBI, SIT for tardy probe

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday expressed unhappiness over the “tardy investigation” by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the murder cases of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare. The court pulled up both the investigating agencies after they informed that they were unable to get analysis of ballistic reports on the weapons used in both the murders from Scotland Yard.

A division bench of Justices S.C. Dharmadhikari and B.P. Colabawalla was hearing the petition filed by families of both the deceased on the status of investigation. After the agencies submitted the status report in sealed envelopes, the court after reading it observed that a lot of time and energy had been wasted by the agencies in investigating the cases. The report was submitted in sealed envelopes with a request that the contents should not be disclosed to anyone.

Advocate Anil Singh, additional solicitor general on behalf of CBI, told the court, “Since we did not get cooperation from the UK government, we have received the analysis report from forensics science laboratory in Gujarat.” He also told the court that that in the absence of a sanction from the UK’s Home Department, CBI despite continuous follow up with Scotland Yard, had been unable to obtain the analysis of ballistic reports on the weapons used in both the murders.

Advocate Ashok Mundergi, counsel for SIT, which is probing the Pansare murder, informed the court that it had made inroads in the case and efforts were on to wrap up the investigations. “We have identified two absconding suspects and are on track as far as investigation is concerned,” he said. The agencies sought two weeks time to submit the next report, which the court granted. The agencies also sought a stay on the trial in both the cases till investigations were completed.

Meanwhile, the families of Dabholkar and Pansare staged a silent protest outside the court and distributed pamphlets with sketches of the absconding accused demanding their arrest. They also announced a reward to those who help the agencies nab them. Dabholkar was killed on August 20, 2013 by two unidentified gunmen in Pune. Pansare succumbed to gunshot wounds on February 20, 2015 after being attacked by gun-wielding assailants earlier.