The Bombay High Court on Thursday suggested that there was no further need for investigation in the 2015 Govind Pansare murder case. However, the hunt for two suspects, who are absconding, should continue, said the court.
The court noted that the investigating agency has stated multiple times that it has examined the case thoroughly, leading the bench to consider closing the petition by the Pansare family, which requested a transfer of the case.
The bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Kamal Khata reviewed an affidavit from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) that stated all possible angles had been investigated. When asked if the probe was complete, the prosecutor confirmed it was.
Advocate Abhay Nevagi, representing the Pansare family, argued that the “real mastermind” behind the murder was still unidentified and that increased security for the Pansare family indicated larger threats. Nevagi linked the case to the high-profile murders of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and journalist Gauri Lankesh, suggesting a broader conspiracy. However, the court found this claim unsubstantiated, stating that no evidence had supported such links.
The court emphasised that investigators cannot manufacture evidence or accuse people without basis. Another lawyer, Subhash Jha, representing some of the accused, argued that continued monitoring by the High Court was unnecessary as the trial was already in progress.
The Pansare family’s petition, previously filed to urge an ongoing investigation, is now scheduled for review on December 2, allowing Nevagi to consult with the family about whether the court should continue overseeing the case.
Govind Pansare was shot by assailants in Kolhapur on February 16, 2015, and passed away four days later in a Mumbai hospital. The investigation, initially led by the CID SIT, was transferred to the ATS in 2022 after limited progress. The prosecution still plans to present around 200 witnesses in the ongoing trial.
