CBI to file chargesheet in Dabholkar case by November 18

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday informed the Bombay high court that it would file chargesheet against accused, in the 2013 Pune-based rationalist Narendhra Dabholkar murder case, by November 18. The court has asked the agency to file its progress report in the case on November 22, when this matter would be heard again.

Additional solicitor general Anil Singh on behalf of the CBI informed the division bench of Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari and Justice B.P. Colabawalla that the agency has set itself the deadline of November 18 to complete its probe and file the chargesheet before the trial court.

The CBI obtained the custody of Amol Kale, a suspected key accused in Dabholkar murder case, in September this year. The CBI took Kale into its custody from the Central prison in Bengaluru where he was lodged for his alleged involvement in the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh.

Kale was taken into custody after the CBI took Sachin Andure, one of the two suspected shooters who fired at Dabholkar, into its custody in August. So far the CBI has arrested seven persons in Dabholkar murder case and it has already informed the court that it suspects that there is a link between Dabholkar and Lankesh murder case.

In the meantime, the Special Investigation Team set up by the Maharashtra CID to investigate the killing of activist Govind Pansare also informed the high court on Wednesday that it was waiting for the CBI custody of some of the accused persons to get over so that it could probe  their role in the Pansare murder case.

The probe agencies suspect link between Dabholkar and Pansare murder too.