The Bombay High Court on Friday declined urgent relief to transfer the investigation into the politically charged murder of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Pradeep Purnekar. [Mandar Ghodke v. State of Maharashtra & Ors]
The vacation bench of Justices Advait Sethna and Ranjitsinha Bhonsale granted liberty to the parties to move the regular bench after the vacation period.
The brutal murder in Thane has sparked a political controversy across Maharashtra. Family members of the deceased Purnekar, including the original complainant Mandar Ghodke, approached the High Court to demand an independent probe into his assassination. They alleged that the current Special Investigation Team (SIT) is shielding the true political masterminds.
The Court questioned the urgency of intervening at this stage.
“What is this? You want the probe to be transferred in vacation? There are still over 45 days (for investigation to complete/chargesheet),” the Bench observed.
It added that only 37 days had elapsed since the incident.
The deceased's kin argued that the current trajectory of the probe was defeating his purpose of justice. They claimed that the SIT is ignoring critical evidence they provided, which allegedly shows the true conspirator with the arrested suspects.
“The investigation should be transferred. We are not satisfied with the investigation which is going on right now,” the petitioner’s counsel argued.
The Bench firmly rejected these requests, reminding the counsel of its limitations.
“It is more than settled law, this court cannot direct the manner in which the investigation has to go on. There are orders deprecating this...You may have a foolproof case. We are not doubting that. But at this stage, for the vacation court to do anything is not possible.”
Special Public Prosecutor Rajeev Chavan defended the SIT's pace and informed the Court that five arrests were made within 10 days of the September 29 murder.
He noted that evidence provided by the petitioners has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).
The Court finally granted the petitioners liberty to mention the matter on the first day the regular court reopens.