Probe in Solapur Principal murder case transferred to CBI

Observing that the state CID has failed to conduct a fair probe into the 2010 murder case of a principal in Solapur district of Maharashtra, the Bombay High Court today transferred investigations in the case to CBI.
A division bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and Gautam Patel was hearing a petition filed by Rupali Honrao, wife of the victim Mahesh Honrao, seeking CBI probe as the local police and CID was not investigating the case properly due to influence by the accused persons.
Mahesh, who was working as principal of Shobantrao Zapate College in Sangola at Solapur, was assaulted with iron rods by unidentified men inside the college premises on March 1, 2010, resulting in his death. 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 court had on the last date of hearing granted a final chance to the Inspector General of CID to initiate steps towards investigations or else the matter would be transferred to CBI.
Additional public prosecutor Purnima Kantharia today told the court that the CID wanted more time to complete investigations.
Irked, Justice Dharamdhikari said, "We find that the intervention of even the highest police officer has not had the desired effect. Police has deliberately not arrested the accused for reasons best known to them. There has been a deliberate delay in acting against the accused so as to enable them to escape from the clutches of law."

Observing that nothing fruitful would emerge if time is given to CID to complete investigations, the court transferred the case to CBI.