Mumbai: The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court on Friday directed the state to transfer the investigation of the murder of a 47-year-old woman to the CID after the Jawahar Nagar police failed to solve the 2012 murder. The brother of the deceased complained to the court that even after interrogating 500 witnesses, the police could not get a breakthrough.
The brother, who filed a writ petition, alleged that the police did not interrogate key witnesses, including a maid working in the house next door who was formerly employed by his sister. The victim was hit on the head, rolled in a mattress and set on fire in the wee hours by unidentified persons while she was alone in the house.
A division bench of Justices S.S. Shinde and K.K. Sonawane was hearing a criminal writ petition filed by Ahmedabad-based Mukul Karandikar, the deceased, Shruti Vijay Bhagwat’s brother. Karandikar prayed for transfer of the case so that it could be solved and console his sister’s soul.
According to Mr Karandikar’s advocate, A.K. Bhosale, Bhagwat was hit on the head and set on fire. Despite collecting evidence and statements of around 500 persons the police failed to nab the killer. Mr Karandikar alleged that in 2014, when he followed up with the police they said they were awaiting forensic analysis from Hyderabad that would help them crack the case. The petition also alleged that the police failed to investigate a maid and the pieces of cloth that were found on the spot of crime and were handed over to the police by the family.
After hearing the contentions, the court said, “In the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, we direct the state to entrust the investigation to the state CID to carry out further investigation thoroughly and properly and take it to the logical end.” Thus saying the bench disposed off the petition asking that it be completed within six months.
