The bench, after going through the progress reports submitted by the CBI and SIT, said, "There is nothing new in these reports... If you say the court should monitor the progress, then information should not be given to the media/press, which will hamper investigations."
The Bombay High Court on Thursday came down heavily on the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for divulging details of its probe into the murder of Dr Narendra Dabholkar to the media. It said, "There has to be fair investigations and fair trial, (but) your officers are giving news material, not doing investigations." It also termed the agency's approach as "childish".
A division bench of justices SC Dharmadhikari and Dr Shalini Phansalkar Joshi directed authorities to expedite the process for getting opinion from the Scotland Yard on the ballistics report — whether the weapons used in the murder of Dabholkar and Dr Govind Pansare were the same — and told the state to place on record its decision with reasons, if any, to transfer the Pansare murder case to the CBI.
The bench, after going through the progress reports submitted by the CBI and SIT, said, "There is nothing new in these reports... If you say the court should monitor the progress, then information should not be given to the media/press, which will hamper investigations."
"Terror has no religion or caste, sex or place of work; be sensitive and careful while investigating such cases," it 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 officers getting publicity will also not. Is there any concern in you to wipe the tears of those affected by the murders?" (sic)
The state government also informed the high court that it had not yet taken any decision to transfer the Pansare murder case to the CBI.
The court also reprimanded the media for printing every minute detail in the case given by the CBI. It said, "Every evening between 10pm and 12am we see on TV cases being picked and judgments being passed within hours. More often we have seen that in cases where the media has taken a keen interest has led to acquittals in court."
The bench told the CBI that by giving details to the media important pieces of evidence were being destroyed. "Hats off to you (CBI) if TV channels show every move of yours... Won't it affect your search and seizure operations, won't showing your officers and witnesses affect the identification parade?"
Asking the CBI/SIT officers to keep their heads down and ensure proper investigations are carried out, the court adjourned hearing on the plea by six weeks.
On May 9, 2014, the HC had transferred probe into the Dabholkar murder case to the CBI. The main reason for transferring the case was that the court felt the need for a detailed probe. Both Dabholkar and Pansare were killed by unidentified shooters in separate incidents while they were on their morning walk.
Family members of both rationalists assured the court that information which could affect the probe wouldn't be divulged to the media and, if they have any, it would only be shared with the probe agencies.
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 "Narendra Dabholkar")
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