Make clear when probe in Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare cases will be over: HC to agencies
Mumbai, Mar 12: The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra CID and the CBI to state clearly when their probe into the killings of activists Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar would be complete.
The state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is probing the killing of communist leader Pansare while the central agency is probing the killing of Dabholkar, a well- known anti-superstition activist.
A bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale also asked why the trial in the rationalist M M Kalburgi killing case has already begun in Karnataka while the probe in these two older cases is incomplete.
In "sensitive cases," citizens of the country deserved to know when probe agencies would complete a probe and when the trial is likely to begin, the court said.
"We are very disturbed to know that while the trial in a similar incident in Karnataka has already commenced, in Maharashtra, it is not clear when the investigation will be completed even though the cases are of similar nature," the bench said.
Dabholkar was shot dead on August 20, 2013, in Pune, while Pansare was shot on February 16, 2015, in Kolhapur in western Maharashtra and died four days later.
Kalburgi, a Kannada scholar, was shot dead on August 30, 2015.
Probe agencies have said these three cases as well as the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh in 2017 were linked and right-wing extremists were behind them.
The HC is hearing petitions filed by the kin of Dabholkar and Pansare seeking a court monitoring of the two probes.
CBI lawyer and Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh said the agency had "done whatever was possible," but was unable to retrieve the weapon used in the Dabholkar case which the accused supposedly dumped in the Thane creek.
The CBI would file a fresh investigation status report before the next hearing, he said.
Of the five accused arrested in the Dabholkar case, one was out on bail and others including the two alleged shooters were in custody, Singh informed.
Petitioners' lawyer Shrikant Shivade said while the CBI had made some progress and filed three chargesheets, there had been no progress in the CID's probe into the Pansare case.
At this, the state's lawyer Mankunwar Deshmukh too volunteered to file a status report.
The bench said it did not doubt the "bonafide" of the probe agencies but they must take the two cases to their "logical conclusion".
"The incidents happened in 2013 and 2015. We are now in 2021. How long will it go on like this?" the high court asked.
"You take clear, concrete instructions and make a positive statement on the next date on how much time you will take," the HC said, adjourning the hearing to March 30.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
