Govind Pansare murder: Bombay High Court transfers probe to Maharashtra ATS

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday transferred the investigation into the murder of Communist Party of India politician Govind Pansare to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS)..On a query by the Division Bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Sharmila Deshmukh, the State had indicated earlier this week that it would either form a fresh team of officers to further investigate into the murder or transfer the probe to the ATS.During the course of hearing today, special public prosecutor Senior Advocate Ashok Mundargi informed the Court that it would be preferable if the ATS handles the probe.“We are agreeable to either of the arrangements. ATS can be appointed and for continuation, some officers can be a part of it; or the SIT can continue the probe and some ATS officers can be included. But in my opinion it will be better if ATS is handed over the probe,” Mundargi submitted..The division bench accepted the submission, and enquired about the officer from ATS who would be supervising the probe. Mundargi pointed out that an officer of the Additional Director General of Police is the chief of ATS, however, the officer would take a call on the officers who would form part of the team investigating the probe..The Court was hearing a plea filed by Smita Pansare, daughter of deceased Pansare, who was shot down by some extremists on February 20, 2015.The family through advocate Abhay Nevagi had pointed out the snail pace at which the probe was moving in the case.It was Nevagi’s contention that the ATS had cracked the 2018 arms haul case and found the mastermind who were identified as sharp shooters in case of murder of activist Narendra Dabholkar.Justice Dere enquired if the same officers can be added to the present team which will be formed, to which Mundargi stated that those officers were no longer part of ATS and were scattered across other divisions of the police..The division bench then directed that the probe be transferred to ATS and indicated that they would pass a detailed order later..The plea filed by Smita Pansare stated that there is a larger conspiracy in the murders of Pansare and other activists like Narendra Dabholkar, MM Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh which ought to be investigated.The plea stated that the four murders are interlinked and mastermind behind these attacks was common.