Govind Pansare Murder Case: Bombay HC Allows ATS To Continue Probe To Trace Absconding Accused

Mumbai: Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) informed the Bombay High Court on Monday that they will continue its probe into the 2015 murder of Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Govind Pansare, even as 28 witnesses have been examined before the trial court in Kolhapur.

Senior counsel Ashok Mundargi, appearing for the ATS, told a bench of Justices Ajey Gadkari and Kamal Khata that they will continue with their probe, as two accused are still absconding. Meanwhile, the trial is going on before the arrested accused before the sessions court in Kolhapur.

On February 16, 2015, Pansare was shot in Kolhapur and he succumbed to injuries on February 20. The high court has been monitoring the probe in the case following a plea by Pansare’s family. Two accused, Sharad Kalaskar and Bikram Bhave, have opposed the continuation of the monitoring of the probe by the HC saying that it has deleterious impact on the trial.

During the hearing on Monday, counsel for Pansare’s family, Anand Grover, pointed out that two main conspirators were still absconding and hence the court should continue monitoring the probe. The family has contended that Sarang Akolkar, one of the absconding accused, is also an accused in the 2009 Goa blast. Also, the chargesheet states the same weapon was used in the killings of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, journalist Gauri Lankesh, and Kannada writer M M Kalburgi.

The bench noted that on the family’s request, the court had first transferred the probe to the CID and then to the ATS. It noted Mundargi’s assurance that the investigating agency would continue its probe to trace the absconding accused. The court then reserved order in the family’s plea.

On February 16, 2015, Pansare (82) and his wife Uma were returning home from their morning walk in the Samrat Nagar area of Kolhapur when two bike-borne men fired multiple rounds at them before fleeing. Pansare succumbed to his injuries on February 20, 2015, while under treatment at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. His wife survived the attack after receiving treatment in the hospital.

After the initial investigation by the local police, the case was handed over to a special investigation team (SIT), which arrested the first accused on September 15, 2015. Subsequently, on August 3, 2022, HC transferred the probe to the ATS.