The Bombay High Court on Wednesday pulled up the CBI, expressing concern over the “unnecessary” delay in the probe into the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar.
The anti-superstition activist was shot dead in Pune in August 2013 by two motorcycle-borne youths. The case was handed over to the CBI more than a year ago, but the agency has not submitted any report so far. Moreover, there is lack of coordination among the seven officers recently deputed by the Maharashtra government to assist the agency, as they were from different locations, Abhay Nevagi, lawyer of the Dabholkar family, said. A Division Bench of Justices Ranjit More and Rajesh Ketkar said it was “unfortunate” that the officers were stationed in different places.
Calling for “close monitoring” of the case, the court directed the State to give reasons for the scattered appointment of officers and the CBI to submit a status report within a week.
