Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday sought to know from a Special Investigating Team (SIT) of state CID what steps it has taken to arrest 2009 Goa blast accused Rudra Patil, an alleged member of right wing group Sanatan Sanstha and prime suspect in the murder of social activist Govind Pansare.
A division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Rajesh Ketkar directed the SIT to file a report stating steps taken by it to apprehend Patil by October 20. The direction was passed after the bench was informed that Sameer Gaikwad of Sanatan Sanstha, who was arrested recently in the Pansare murder case, was a friend of Patil. The court also directed CBI, which is probing the murder of another rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, to submit its investigation report by October 20.
The bench was hearing petitions filed by the kin of Dabholkar and Pansare seeking the High Court to monitor the probe. Both the agencies today submitted confidential reports to the court. After perusing the SIT’s report, Justice More said “the report is silent on what steps have been taken to arrest Rudra Patil.”
The court also expressed displeasure over the state’s failure to appoint a special public prosecutor in the case and said “it is really sorry state of affairs that in such sensitive cases special public prosecutors are not appointed.” Calling for fresh probe reports by October 20, the bench said “we want to satisfy ourselves that investigation is moving in the proper direction.”
The High Court had in May last year transferred the probe in Dabholkar murder case to CBI from state police after his family petitioned the High Court. Dabholkar was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013.
Pansare was shot dead outside his residence in Kolhapur in February this year.
PTI