Loharia murder case:Crime Branch submits progress report to HC

The Crime Branch, probing the murder of a Navi Mumbai-based builder Sunil Loharia last year, today submitted a progress report, fifth in series, to the Bombay High Court which is monitoring the investigations.
The report was submitted to a bench of Justices P V Hardas and Anuja Prabhudessai in their chambers during the hearing of a PIL filed by activist Ketan Tirodkar seeking a CBI probe into the case alleging that police was "shielding" the accused.
Perusing the report, the Judges told the crime branch sleuths to continue with the probe.
However, the petitioner told the court that he was not satisfied with the probe as the investigating agency had not probed the Call Data Records (CDRs) of some accused and police. The CDRs should be scrutinised as they might reveal the alleged nexus of accused with police, Tirodkar said.

The bench then asked the Crime Branch to file by next week a detailed report taking into consideration the CDRs.
Earlier, the state government had informed the court that nothing incriminating had been found against top police officers in regard to their alleged nexus with the accused in connection with the murder.

The state had submitted a copy of a letter in this regard, written by Director General of Police to Sandeep Loharia, son of the slain builder, who had alleged that police were "protecting" the accused.
The Mumbai crime branch had earlier handed over the case diaries in a sealed cover to the court.

The probe was initially conducted by Navi Mumbai police, but was later transferred to the crime branch.
Loharia was shot dead outside his office in Vashi on February 16 last year.