<p>The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Karnataka SIT, which investigated the Gauri Lankesh murder case, should take over the probe into the killing of rationalist M M Kulburgi in 2015 in Dharwad.</p>.<p>A bench of Justices R F Nariman and Vineet Saran directed that the Karnataka High Court's Dharwad bench should monitor the probe.</p>.<p>The court, however, sought status report within four weeks in sealed cover case of murders of Comrade Govind Pansare and rationalist Narendra Dabholkar.</p>.<p>Additional Advocate General Devadatt Kamat submitted the SIT which investigated Gauri Lankesh case and filed a charge sheet, should be allowed to take over the Kalburgi case.</p>.<p>Senior advocate Kapil Sibal contended there are similarities and some link in four murders. A few accused were involved in the Goa blasts case as well.</p>.<p>Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing Maharashtra, said the affidavit by the state should be taken on record.</p>.<p>The court had earlier sought to know if there was a "common thread" in murder cases of Communist leader Pansare and rationalist Dabholkar in Maharashtra, and Kannada writer Kalburgi and journalist-activist Gauri in Karnataka.</p>.<p>In Dabholkar's case, the CBI had already filed a charge sheet in a Pune Court. In the case of Pansare, five persons have been arrested and the matter was pending before a court in Kolhapur.</p>.<p>The court was hearing a petition filed by Uma Devi Kalburgi.</p>.<p>Umadevi, in her plea, drew a parallel between Kalburgi's murder and killings of Dabholkar and Comrade Pansare in Maharashtra and sought a SIT probe by a retired SC judge or a high court judge.</p>.<p>She urged the top court to monitor the probe till it reached its logical conclusion as there was no progress into investigation conducted so far by the Karnataka police. </p>
<p>The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Karnataka SIT, which investigated the Gauri Lankesh murder case, should take over the probe into the killing of rationalist M M Kulburgi in 2015 in Dharwad.</p>.<p>A bench of Justices R F Nariman and Vineet Saran directed that the Karnataka High Court's Dharwad bench should monitor the probe.</p>.<p>The court, however, sought status report within four weeks in sealed cover case of murders of Comrade Govind Pansare and rationalist Narendra Dabholkar.</p>.<p>Additional Advocate General Devadatt Kamat submitted the SIT which investigated Gauri Lankesh case and filed a charge sheet, should be allowed to take over the Kalburgi case.</p>.<p>Senior advocate Kapil Sibal contended there are similarities and some link in four murders. A few accused were involved in the Goa blasts case as well.</p>.<p>Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing Maharashtra, said the affidavit by the state should be taken on record.</p>.<p>The court had earlier sought to know if there was a "common thread" in murder cases of Communist leader Pansare and rationalist Dabholkar in Maharashtra, and Kannada writer Kalburgi and journalist-activist Gauri in Karnataka.</p>.<p>In Dabholkar's case, the CBI had already filed a charge sheet in a Pune Court. In the case of Pansare, five persons have been arrested and the matter was pending before a court in Kolhapur.</p>.<p>The court was hearing a petition filed by Uma Devi Kalburgi.</p>.<p>Umadevi, in her plea, drew a parallel between Kalburgi's murder and killings of Dabholkar and Comrade Pansare in Maharashtra and sought a SIT probe by a retired SC judge or a high court judge.</p>.<p>She urged the top court to monitor the probe till it reached its logical conclusion as there was no progress into investigation conducted so far by the Karnataka police. </p>