Bombay High Court ends monitoring activist Govind Pansare murder probe

The Bombay High Court on Thursday ended its monitoring of the investigation into the 2015 murder of activist Govind Pansare, observing that its oversight was no longer necessary.

A bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Kamal Khata made the decision, noting that while two accused individuals remain absconding, their apprehension does not justify continued court involvement. The bench directed that updates on the case should be submitted to the trial court in Kolhapur once the accused are arrested.

Additionally, the High Court ordered the Kolhapur Sessions Court to conduct the ongoing trial on a day-to-day basis to expedite the delivery of justice.

Pansare, a prominent activist, was shot by bike-borne assailants in Kolhapur on February 16, 2015, and died four days later in a Mumbai hospital. The investigation initially involved the CID’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) but was transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in 2022.

So far, 25 witnesses have testified in the trial, but 200 more are yet to appear. Pansare’s family has repeatedly expressed concerns about the main conspirators behind the killing remaining at large.

Since 2015, the high court has been overseeing the investigation, with agencies like the ATS submitting periodic progress reports in sealed covers.

The court stated the need to focus on concluding the trial efficiently while continuing efforts to locate the absconding suspects.