Govind Pansare murder: Take decision on kin's plea for transfer of probe, HC tells Maha
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday said the Maharashtra government should take a decision on the plea filed by the family of slain activist Govind Pansare seeking for the probe in the killing to be transferred to the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS).
Pansare was shot at on February 16, 2015 in Kolhapur and succumbed to his injuries on February 20.
The Maharashtra State Crime Investigation Department (CID) is presently probing the case and has arrested a few persons.
Megha Pansare, the activist's daughter-in-law, in her plea filed earlier this month, claimed there existed a larger conspiracy in the killings of Pansare, rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, Kannada academic and activist MM Kalburgi and journalist Gauri Lankesh.
On Thursday, special public prosecutor Ashok Mundargi sought time to respond to the plea and to file a status report on the investigation. A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Sharmila Deshmukh said it was granting a week's time.
"We will grant you one week's time. We cannot wait endlessly. We want a decision on this. We understand today, but this can't go on endlessly," the court said.
The petitioner's advocate Abhay Nevagi told the court the government was acting only when the court gave an order or direction.
In reply, Mundargi said, "That is not true but the government should be there first."
Nevagi told the court the state police was yet to make any headway in the case even after seven years.
Meanwhile, the bench also adjourned for a week the bail plea filed by Virendra Tawade, arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the killing of Dabholkar.
The court, however, orally said while it was not inclined to grant bail it would expedite the trial in the case.
The bench was informed that out of 32 witnesses, eight witnesses have been examined till date.
The court directed the CBI to say on the next date of hearing the estimated time for the remaining witnesses to be examined.
