Narendra Dabholkar case: SC refuses plea for Bombay HC to monitor murder probe

The bench said it is not inclined to interfere in the matter. However, the bench also left it open to the petitioners to provide any material that may be useful for the progress of the case.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to direct the Bombay High Court to resume monitoring the probe and trial in connection with the murder of rationalist, Narendra Dabholkar.

The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Satish Chandra Sharma rejected a plea by Mukta Dabholkar and others challenging a Bombay High Court order of April, 2023, wherein it had decided to not continue monitoring the progress on the case.

The bench said it is not inclined to interfere in the matter. However, the bench left it open to the petitioners to provide any material that may be useful for the progress of the case.

A counsel, representing the petitioners, submitted that the high court had stopped monitoring the case with regard to the larger conspiracy angle.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the CBI, submitted that the cross examination in the trial was ongoing.

She said that the investigating agency would not abandon the case and the trial was reaching its conclusion.

In September 2021, the trial commenced after charges were framed against all five accused. The CBI had filed the chargesheet against the five persons accused of the murder of Narendra Dabholkar. The high court, since August 2015, has been monitoring the investigation.

Dabholkar, the founder and head of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, an anti-superstition outfit, was shot dead in August 2013.

The Supreme Court had on Friday rejected an appeal filed by the murder victim's daughter, Mukta, challenging the bail granted by the Bombay High Court to an accused in the case.

The petitioner had claimed that this is a serious case where during forensic examination one of the witnesses said the accused was involved and sought dismissal of the bail of one of the accused, Vikram Bhave, in the case.

Mukta had approached the top court against May 6, 2021 order of the Bombay HC which had granted bail to Bhave.