Kin questions CBI on Dabholkar probe

A DIVISION BENCH DIRECTED THE SIT PROBING THE PANSARE MURDER TO FILE A PROGRESS REPORT

After family members of slain rationalist leader Narendra Dabholkar questioned the CBI’s slow pace of investigation into his murder, especially in comparison to the agency’s swift action in the Sheena Bora murder case, the Bombay high court on Monday directed CBI Special Task force’s joint director Nina Singh to file a progress report.

Singh took over the investigations in the Sheena Bora case in September this year. A division bench comprising Justices Ranjit More and VL Achiliya also directed the state-appointed special investigation team (SIT) probing the murder of another rationalist and Communist leader Govind Pansare to file a similar progress report.

The bench was hearing two petitions filed by the family members of Dabholkar and Pansare respectively, seeking directions to the CBI and the SIT to expedite their efforts.

The directions came after the petitioners pointed out before the court that while it had taken the CBI only 60 days to file a chargesheet in the Sheena Bora case, it was yet to file one in the Dabholkar case. The SIT, too, is yet to file a chargesheet or to make any headway in the Pansare murder case.

Dabholkar was shot on August 20, 2013, in Pune while Pansare was shot at on February 16 this year in Kolhapur and died four days later. On Monday, advocate Abhay Nevagi, who appears for family members of both Dabholkar and Pansare, urged the court to direct investigating agencies to constitute special teams for probes.

“A special investigation team was formed in the Sheena Bora case and the CBI managed to file a chargesheet running into 1000 pages within 60 days. If they can do it in the sensational murder case, the reason for not having done so in the Dabholkar case is that they are either lethargic or they are facing political pressure,” Nevagi said.

Nevagi added that while the CBI had earlier said that two persons were under surveillance in the Dabholkar case, they were yet to make any significant breakthrough.