Mumbai: Referring to the recent face-off between the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Kolkata Police, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday observed, the world is watching all the happenings in India, which is the largest democracy in the world.
This comes after the CBI and the state’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) informed the HC, they would file supplementary chargesheets in cases pertaining to the murders of Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar on February 12 and 13 respectively. The observation was made by a division bench of Justices Satyaranjan Dharmadhikari and Makarand Karnik while directing the SIT and especially the CBI, to concentrate on tracing the absconding accused in both the killings.
“The CBI is a premier agency. Cases like these are important and the whole world is interested in knowing the result of such cases. Today, because of social media, the whole world is watching us. It wants to know what is happening in important incidents,” said Justice Dharmadhikari. Making a passing reference to the recent controversy in West Bengal, Justice Dharmadhikari remarked, “The world is watching what the CBI is doing in important cases.
Be it these cases or the incidents in West Bengal, the world is watching us.” During the course of the hearing, the judges said the probe agencies must focus on arresting the accused, who are still at large. The bench further noted that the probe agencies are yet to probe the source of funds received by these accused.
“Not everybody obtains funds through authorised banking channels. There are several moneylenders, hawala operators and those financing the world of crime, through whom absconding accused can obtain funds and money for their daily needs,” Justice Dharmadhikari said.
“Even those who have entrusted the work of killing somebody renowned,like the two scholars in this case, would obtain financial assistance for these persons from such channels and ensure that these channels allow the money to reach the absconders,” Justice Dharmadhikari added. The bench accordingly directed the probe agencies to conduct a orough search and investigation in metros like Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Nagpur and so on, as this might help them get clues to nab the absconding accused.
Meanwhile, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh told the bench that the CBI has moved its head office on the involvement of certain persons in these killings. He further informed, the agency would make a statement on the same, on the next date of hearing, March 14.
