15 June,2011 07:00 AM IST | | Salil Urunkar
Investigating agency may have to question people, scrutinise documents all over again in builder Nikhil Rane murder case
The Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) has an uphill task on its hand. With the Bombay High Court transferring the investigations into the murder of city-based builder and Advocate Nikhil Rane to the CBI, it remains to be seen if the investigating agency can perform where the city police failed. Rane was injured after gangsters fired at him from close range outside his office Rane Constructions on Jangli Maharaj road on November 23, 2009. He later succumbed to his injuries at Sancheti Hospital.
The high court has been monitoring the investigations after Nikhil's wife Ashwini moved the court last year seeking a transfer of the probe to another investigating agency. Ashwini's petition said that the police probe was going nowhere. When interrogation of the four persons arrested in an extortion case revealed nothing, the case was handed over to the state Criminal Investigation Department on July 13, 2010.
Failure of cops
The city police have been in the line of fire as the Rane murder investigation hit a dead-end in the early stages itself. All possible angles was considered, including personal rivalry, family disputes, land dealing disputes and even illicit relationships. Nothing substantial, however, was revealed except that the builder was involved in the dealing of a land plot on Sus road area in 2005.
After receiving a rap from the high court, the city police insisted they would get a breakthrough, claiming they were better than the Mumbai police. To support their claims, the city police furnished statistics that showed that despite fewer manpower and more policing area per policeman, the city police have better detection rate.
Several top police officers still believe that they are the best ones. "We are also closely watching what the CBI finds out in the Rane murder case now," remarked an officer requesting anonymity.
Underworld link
The Crime Branch, Pune, while questioning the Rane family and checking the call detail records of Nikhil had stumbled upon an extortion case. Four members namely, Sandeep Dicholkar (42) from Badlapur, Thane and his local contacts Dhananjay Dixit (35), Sandeep Sangle (30) and Deepak Borkar (37), reportedly associated with the Ashwin Naik gang were arrested. It was believed that the interrogation of this gang would reveal interesting facts, but the investigations again hit a dead-end, leaving the police clueless about the killing.
What next?
The CBI after taking over the case may scrutinise the documents again and if required all people related to this case may be questioned again. The possible angles - ruled out by the local police - could be investigated again, said another police officer. The CBI has a tough task ahead, the officer added. All possible angles, including personal rivalry, family disputes, land dealing disputes and even illicit relationships, was considered. Nothing substantial was revealed
