The Supreme Court on Wednesday set out to examine whether the murder of author and rationalist MM Kalburgi in the year 2015 should be handed over to a Special Investigation Team. The Court issued notice to Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency and states of Maharashtra and Karnataka on a petition by Kalburgi's widow who alleged a pattern in her husband's killing linking it with two other killings in Karnataka and Maharashtra involving rationalists Narendra Achyut Dabholkar and Govindrao Pansare.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud sought responses after it was informed by the petitioner Uma Devi Kalburgi that the other two murders that took place in August 2013 (of Dabholkar) and February 2015 (of Pansare) could give leads to the culprits involved in Kalburgi;s murder. The matter is listed for hearing after six weeks.