SC seeks Centre’s response on SIT probe into Kulburgi murder

New Delhi, Jan 10 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Centre on a plea by Umadevi Mallinath Kalburgi, the widow of rationalist M.M. Kalburgi, seeking a SIT probe into his murder.

Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud sought the response as she demanded a coordinated probe in the killings of Kalburgi, Left leader Govind Pansare and rationalist Narendra Dobhalkar as the circumstance surrounding them were the same.

The Centre and other five respondents – the Central Bureau of Investigation, the National Investigation Agency, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa – have to file their response in six weeks.

Kalburgi was killed on August 30, 2015 in Dharwad in Karnataka and Umadevi Kalburgi has alleged that the probe by the Karnataka Police had not made any headway and there is no progress.

Seeking the SIT be headed by a retired judge of the apex court or a high court, she also sought top court monitoring of the independent investigation by the SIT till its reaches it logical conclusion.

The petitioner has told the court that the link between the murder of Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi is “established beyond a doubt” as forensic tests conducted by the CBI and the Maharashtra and Karnataka Police concluded two weapons were used in all the three murders.

Contending that the central government was responsible for ensuring that the fundamental rights of freedom of speech and expressions are not infringed, petitioner Umadevi Kalburgi has said that the investigation of murder of Kalburgi requires co-ordination between Maharashtra and Karnataka police besides the CBI and NIA.

One of the weapons used in the murder of Pansare was also used in the murder of Kalburgi, says the petition in support of its plea for a co-ordinated investigation into the murder.

The organisation, the petition says, involved in the murders also appears to be the one and the shooters are also likely to the same.

IANS