Dabholkar murder: Bombay High Court seeks probe status from CBI

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI to inform it by January 30 the status of the probe into the 2013 murder of rationalist Dr Narendra DabholkarA division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and P D Naik was hearing a petition filed by Dabholkars daughter Mukta Dabholkar seeking that the court continue to monitor the investigationIn 2014 the HC had transferred the probe to the CBI from Pune police following a petition by activist Ketan Tirodkar and later by Mukta Dabholkar Since then the HC has been monitoring the progress in the caseAlso read Let us honour Dabholkar by being rationalDabholkar 67 a rationalist and the founder of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti an antisuperstition organization was shot dead by two motorcycleborne assailants while on a morning walk in Pune on August 20 2013The assailants were allegedly linked to the radical Hindu outfit Sanatan SansthaThe CBI has so far filed charge sheets against five persons The agency had earlier said its probe was continuing as the masterminds of the murder were at largeOn Wednesday the bench initially noted that as a charge sheet has been filed the HC need not continue its monitoringThere cannot be perpetual monitoring Some monitoring is fine but law is clear that when a charge sheet is filed the rights of the accused are to be considered the court saidAdvocate Abhay Nevagi appearing for Mukta Dabholkar however argued that the CBI was yet to trace the motorcycle and weapons used in the crimeThe supplementary charge sheet filed by the CBI stated that investigation was still going on he pointed outThe court sought to know what happened after the supplementary charge sheet was filed in 2019The agency has to tell us what is the stage at which the case is and what the agency proposes to do it addedAdditional Solicitor General Anil Singh appearing for the CBI sought time as a new investigating officer has taken over the probeThe bench then adjourned the hearing to January 30Meanwhile an intervention application has been filed by two of the five arrested accused in the case Vikram Bhave and Virendrasinh Tavade opposing the petition filed by Mukta DabholkarIn 2021 a special CBI court in Pune framed charges against the accused and the trial is underwayThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever