The Bombay High Court on Thursday came down heavily on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), for divulging details of their investigations in the murder of Dr Narendra Dabholkar to the media.
It said, “There has to be fair investigations and fair trial, your officers are giving news material, not doing investigations.” It also attributed the approach of CBI as ‘Childish’.
A division bench of Justice S C Dharmadhikari and Justice Dr. Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, directed authorities to expedite the process for receiving opinion from the Scotland yard police, as regards the ballistic report on whether the weapons used in the murder of Dr. Dabholkar and Dr. Govind Pansare was the same and told the Maharashtra government to place on record its decision with reasons if any to transfer the murder case of Dr. Pansare to the CBI.
The bench after going through the progress reports submitted by CBI and SIT said “There is nothing new in these reports which have not already been given out in public domain. If you say the court should monitor the progress then the information should not be given to the media/press, which will hamper investigations.”
Further it said, “Terror has no religion or caste, sex or place of work, be sensitive and careful while investigating such cases.” The court added “With this kind of investigation you are helping the making of a film or TV serial, merchants in that business will thrive on the information given by you (CBI), but society will suffer. Those who sell information and those who consume will not bother, while those officer getting publicity will also not, is there any concern in you to wipe the tears of those affected by the murders.”
The state government also informed the high court that it had not yet taken any decision to transfer the murder case of Dr. Pansare to the CBI which is probing the murder case of Dr. Dabholkar. It said, “Hope you are investigating on your own and coordinating but not spoiling each other’s case.”
The court also reprimanded the media for printing every minute detail in the case given by the CBI officers. It said, “Every evening between 10 pm to 12 am we see on televisions cases being picked and judgments passed within hours. More often we have seen that such case where media has taken keen interest has led to acquittals in court.”
The bench told the CBI that by giving details to the media important piece of evidence is being destroyed. “Hats off to you (CBI). If TV channels show every move of yours then won't it affect your search and seizure operations? Won't showing your officers and witnesses affect Identification Parade?”
Family members of Dr. Dabholkar and Dr. Pansare assured the court that information which could affect the probe will not be divulged to the media and if they have any, then it would be shared with the probe agencies.
Asking the CBI/SIT officer to keep their heads down and to ensure proper investigations are carried out, the court adjourned the hearing on the plea by six weeks, saying it hopes the investigation is carried out in the right direction.
On May 9, 2014, the HC had transferred probe into Dabholkar murder case to CBI. The main reason for transferring the case was that the court felt a need for a detailed probe.
Both Dabholkar and Pansare were killed by unidentified shooters in separate incidents while they were taking their morning walk.
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 "Narendra Dabholkar, Bombay High Court,")
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