Even as the Bombay High Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the Dabholkar murder case from the Pune police, the CBI is yet to get a formal order regarding the next step in investigation.
Narendra Dabholkar, a renowned rationalist, was murdered by unidentified motorists on August 20 last year. The probe, which was under Pune police so far, has not progressed: a reason cited by former journalist Ketan Tirodkar in his PIL in the Bombay High Court, which prompted the decision. Dabholkar's family, too, had asked for a special investigation team to probe the case.
Speaking to The Hindu , a senior CBI officer in Pune stated that it was not clear which branch of the CBI would investigate the case. “The order is being studied, and decision will be made as soon as possible,” he stated. Officers involved in the probe so far stated that the CBI had not yet contacted them.
The Pune Police had arrested two people in the case, but has not yet filed a chargesheet. “In fact, the investigation (of Pune Police) has reached a dead end and no further progress at all can be expected,” the court order states.
