HC stops monitoring probe in Dabholkar murder case

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court has discontinued the monitoring of the probe in the murder of slain rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, observing that the trial in the case had already commenced against five accused persons. The court added that as the Supreme Court had held that once a trial commenced and the chargesheet was submitted, it was for the trial court to direct or monitor the probe if the need arose, and hence there was no need for the HC to continue monitoring the probe. Advocate Abhay Nevagi for the petitioners had submitted that the murders of Dr Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, Gauri Lankesh and M M Kalburgi and the Nallasopara arms haul case were inter-connected and had one main mastermind who had not been arrested yet, and hence the HC should continue monitoring the probe which it started doing in 2015. Meanwhile, two accused in the case had filed interim applications seeking discontinuation of the monitoring and stated that as the trial had commenced, further monitoring by the HC would influence the trial court and hence it should be stopped.