'Politician, Journalists on Hit List': Slain Leader Govind Pansare’s Kin Urges Bombay High Court To Continue Monitoring Investigation

While the bench initially questioned why the 2015 petition by Pansare’s kin should be kept pending, their counsel urged the court to continue monitoring the probe, to unravel the larger conspiracy behind the murders of Pansare, Narendra Dabholkar, Professor Kalburgi and journalist Gauri Lankesh.

After Advocate Abhay Nevagi said a senior politician and veteran journalists like Kumar Ketkar and Nikhil Wagle are also on the hit-list along with 40 others, the court sought an investigation report from the ATS.

“We request the learned sessions judge Kolhapur to proceed with the trial. Status report of ATS to be placed on record on February 1,” the court of Justices AS Gadkari and Prakash Naik said in the order.

In August Last year, nearly seven years after Pansare was shot at on his morning walk, a coordinate bench agreed to transfer the probe from the Special Investigations Team to the Anti-Terrorism Squad.

The order was passed on an application by Pansare’s kin alleging that the SIT was unable to identify the masterminds behind Pansare’s murder. They said the ATS had found connections between the murders of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, Professor Kalburgi, Pansare and Gauri Lankesh while investigating the 2019 Nalla Sopara Arms Case of 2019.

On Friday, Justice Gadkari asked why should they keep the petition pending when ATS was already investigating the case.

In response Advocate Abhay Nevagi said that all the progress in the investigation has been because of high court's monitoring. He said it is important to know who the real masterminds of the murders are as they have learned over 40 people are still on the hit-list.

“I do want the trial to progress and didn’t want to take names, but people like Kumar Ketkar, Nikhil Wagle are on the hit list. This petition must be kept pending so that it can be monitored,” he said.

He highlighted that the shooters in Dabholkar’s murder were named as witnesses in the present case.

Senior Advocate Ashok Mundargi representing the state government said the ATS could file a status report on the next day. 

Trial

Pansare was 82 at the time of his murder. By 2016, charge sheets were filed against Sameer Gaikwad and prime accused Virendrasinh Tawde. In 2019, four others Amol Kale, Vasudeo Suryavashi, Amit Digwekar and Bharat Kurne were charge sheeted. They've been booked for murder, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and Arms Act violations.

Six accused have been charge sheeted since 2015 but the SIT has not been able to track the crime's weapons, the getaway bike and the absconding alleged shooters, Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar.

The matter is at the stage of framing of charges against the accused wherein the next date is January 9, 2023.