The Bombay High Court came down hard on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Special Investigation Team (SIT) for delaying the murder trials of slain rationalists Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi
Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare
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The Bombay High Court came down hard on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Special Investigation Team (SIT) for delaying the murder trials of slain rationalists Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi.
The court granted six additional weeks to the elite agencies to procure forensic reports from UK, but warned that it would not accept any more delays.
The bench said, “If the investigations do not conclude fast, it might give an impression to the people at large that you do not want to arrest certain people.”
The investigators suspect a common link between the three murders, but and had sent ballistic samples to Scotland Yard for analysis. However, since May, the agencies have been requesting adjournments from the court under the pretext that they are yet to receive the report.
‘No more delays’
“We don’t want any adjournments now on the grounds that you are still to get the Scotland Yard report. On November 23, when you come to us the next time, the report should be with you,” said Justice SC Dharmadhikari and Justice BP Collabawalla.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh informed the court that a CBI officer has got permission to visit Scotland Yard and will ensure that the report comes in time.
The bench also told state pleader Mankunwar Deshmukh that SIT officers were leaking information to the news media.
“There are over-enthusiastic officers in the SIT who cannot resist publicity. Once they come across something crucial, they do not even wait for the court hearing before revealing everything to the media,” said the judges, adding, “We will close down the whole SIT unless you stop showing this over-enthusiasm.”
Meanwhile, the counsel for the Dabholkar and Pansare families, Abhay Nevagi told the court, “We do not find the investigation going in the correct direction. We had submitted sketches of two shooters last year itself, but the investigating agencies did not take any cognisance of the same.”
The court then directed the SIT and CBI to trace the people in the sketches, and also asked the agencies to take the help of the families, if required.
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