Bombay High Court raps CBI for mismanaging Narendra Dabholkar probe

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday rapped the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for “bungling up” the investigation into the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and said that it gives an impression that it is not “sincere” in its probe into the case. “The more you postpone investigation the more benefit the accused will get. It also gives an impression in the society that you (CBI) are not serious about the case and are not pursuing the probe sincerely,’ the court said while hearing the matter.

“You are just bungling it up. It is your credibility at stake. You (CBI) should remember this, that this delay is impacting two trials that are ready to start,” the court said.

A division bench of Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari and Justice B. Colabawala was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by family members of Dabholkar and Pansare and sought high court supervision on the probe. While Pansare was killed by two motorcycle-borne shooters in February 2015 in Kolhapur, Dabholkar was  killed by two bike-borne shooters in August 2013. While the state police is probing Pansare’s case, CBI is probing the Dabholkar case.

Additional solicitor general (ASG), Anil Singh, who is representing CBI, sought adjournment in the case because it was still awaiting ballistic report from the forensic lab of Scotland Yard. Mr. Singh further told the court that they are also seeking alternate opinion from a forensic lab in Delhi.

Irked by this, the court said if there was an option of seeking opinion locally then why wasn’t this not done so before. “Who prevented you from seeking opinion of a local third party expert before approaching Scotland Yard?,” the court asked.

The court further said that efforts taken by agencies in investigation should be sincere, especially in a case like this where the offence is serious in nature and impacts the society.

On the Pansare murder which is being probed by the state CID, the court called for better coordination between CBI and CID, and urged them to take joint efforts to arrest the accused.

Special public prosecutor Ashok Mundargi, who appeared for the State, told the court that they have already filed chargesheet against Sandip Gaikawad and Virendra Tawade and assured the court that the state CID is taking all the efforts to nab the  accused.

The court has given a last chance to the CBI to procure reports from UK and told them to submit further progress report in the Pansare murder case and kept the matter for hearing after six weeks.