Pansare-Dabholkar murder case: HC raps CBI for not taking probe ahead

The Bombay high court (HC) on Thursday slammed investigating agencies for giving excuses and not taking the probe in the murder of activist Govind Pansare and rationalist Narendra Dabholkar forward. The HC has now directed the state to extend help to the agencies to facilitate the probe.

The bench of justices SC Dharmadhikari and GS Patel, while hearing the petition filed by the kin of the slain rationalist and activist, was informed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department (CID), that they had not been able to undertake search operations in Thane creek despite the bench directing them to do so before the onset of monsoon in the previous hearing.

The CBI counsel informed the court that though the environmental board had given them the clearance to search for the country-made pistol, a platform had to be constructed on the creek and the agency had to get the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) authority’s clearance. In light of these submissions, CBI submitted that the search was stalled.

Irked by the submission, the bench directed the state and environment departments to extend all help to CBI to ensure that the search operations are launched at the earliest.

The bench added that such delays would only result in justice becoming a casualty. The matter has been posted for August 9.