Home minister R.R. Patil on Monday said that the investigation of the murder case of anti-superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar would not be given to any other investigation agency. “Since the local police has the required expertise and good knowledge of the local area, it can carry out the probe very well,” Mr Patil said.
Dr Dabholkar was shot dead on the morning of August 20 by two men, killing him on the spot. Four rounds were fired where one bullet hit the back of his head; one grazed the skull and the other hit him below the underarm.
The home minister while answering questions of the journalists at a function marking the launch of a safety campaign by the city police at the Azad Maidan Police Club, said, “The local police has the expertise to solve the case and they are being assisted by the experts in the state police department, Mumbai crime branch, ATS and others. The central agency is providing support in the probe as well.” He added that the members of the dedicated investigation teams that have been formed to probe this case have not been given any other duty. I feel that due time should be given to the agency for the investigation”.
There have been demands to transfer the case from the local police to the CID, CBI or NIA, but the home minister has shown his faith in the local police. Recently, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gopinath Munde, criticised the Pune police for their failure in cracking the murder case.
Mr Patil has launched the Ek Minute Mumbai Ke Liye campaign, urging Mumbaikars to keep vigil on suspicious elements.