New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday asked the CBI’s counsel to check if there is a common thread between the murders of four rationalists -- Govind Pansare, Narendra Dabholkar, MM Kalburgi, and Gauri Lankesh.
A bench comprising justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia was hearing a plea by Mukta Dabholkar, who was represented by senior advocate Anand Grover, daughter of Narendra Dabholkar.
Grover submitted before the top court that the issues involved in the matter are two folds: firstly, the CBI investigation was not completed when the impugned order was passed and secondly, even perfunctory evidence indicated that the murders -- of Pansare, Dabholkar, Professor Kalburgi, and Lankesh -- were interconnected and it was raised before the Bombay High Court.
The bench said the high court declined to monitor the investigation since the trial was in progress and several witnesses have been examined and queried, what is wrong with such an observation? Grover stressed that absconders have not been arrested so far
Additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, representing the CBI, submitted that a counter affidavit had been filed in May this year, though the same has not been accepted due to some administrative difficulties and also informed the court about the status of the trial.
The bench queried Bhati regarding the claims of a larger conspiracy by Grover. The bench further queried the CBI's counsel, “the accused who are facing a trial, according to you, there is no common thread in the four murders? Right?” Justice Kaul said the court wants to know this and asked Bhati to check it.
The apex court granted two weeks to Grover for filing of some additional documents in the matter and added that it would facilitate ASG in examining the issue of a larger conspiracy. The top court was Mukta's plea challenging the Bombay High Court order refusing to continue monitoring the case relating to the murder of anti-superstition crusader Narendra Dabholkar.
In 2013, Narendra Dabholkar, a rationalist and social activist, was shot dead while on his morning walk. In 2014, the high court transferred the probe to the CBI from Pune police and since then, the court has been monitoring the progress of the case.
