The Bombay High Court on Thursday said that the CBI Special Investigation Team and the State Criminal Investigation Department submitted rudimentary reports on the probe into the killings of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare, and that the pace of the investigation was unsatisfactory.
A Division Bench of Justices S.C. Dharmadhikari and Bharati Dangre said there was nothing confidential about the reports submitted by the additional chief secretary of Maharashtra and the joint director of the CBI.
Though senior officers of both agencies had submitted their reports all it had was a summary of the case and showed no progress, the Bench said.
The court, which was hearing petitions filed by the family members of Dabholkar and Pansare, said “No corrective measures have been taken. The officers have been completely inept and insensitive in handling such sensitive cases.”
The court said, “What is the point of the intervention of the highest court in the state if this is the result? We are not impressed. Is this how you deal with cases of crimes against the society?”
The Bench said the authorities are showing no urgency despite the tragic phase the country is witnessing, where one cannot move around freely. “Are we going to see a day when everyone will need police protection to move around, or to speak their mind?” the court said.
“What is happening in the state today? People come and torch buses, pelt stones, it is a free for all. ... What are your priorities? There is a state, and then there is a government. The government might change tomorrow, but what about the state that is home to millions of people?” the court said.
In the last hearing, the Bench had said it would require a proper explanation on any delays in investigations.