HC raps CID on failure to finish probe in Solapur murder case

Coming down heavily on CID for lapses in completing investigations into a 2010 murder case of a principal in Solapur, the Bombay High Court today gave the Inspector General of CID Pune a last chance to take concrete steps towards probing the case.
A division bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and Gautam Patel said that if after a week the court still feels that no steps have been taken towards the investigation it would be constrained to transfer the case to CBI.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by Rupali Honrao, wife of the victim Mahesh Honrao, seeking CBI probe as the CID was not investigating the case properly allegedly due to the influence by the accused persons.

Mahesh, who was working as principal of Shobantrao Zapate College in Sangola at Solapur, was assaulted to death with iron rods by unidentified men inside the college premises on March 1, 2010. A complaint was filed with the Sangola police.
"The case was, however, later transferred to the CID and a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of the deputy superintendent of police CID," petitioner's advocate Macchindra Patil said.
The High Court today observed that despite several adjournments granted there has been no conclusion in the investigations.
"We express our dissatisfaction in the manner in which the probe is being carried out. Even today adjournment is sought as the agency is not able to conduct narco analysis tests due to lack of staff in the forensic lab. We are constrained to observe that the petitioner's grievances have not been addressed," the court said.

"We are posting this petition for orders on October 25. We expect the Inspector General CID to take corrective steps towards the case," the court said.