Court defers framing charges in Dr. Dhabolkar murder

Defence counsel sought copy of forensic report submitted by CBI in 2013

A special court on Friday adjourned till September 3 the hearing of arguments on the framing of charges in the Dr. Narendra Dabholkar murder after the defence counsel submitted that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had not furnished the accused with a copy of the 2017 report from the Gujarat Directorate of Forensic Science (DFS) which had analysed the firearm retrieved from one of the alleged shooters in the case. Advocate Prakash Salsingikar, counsel for Sanatan Sanstha member Vikram Bhave, one of the five charged accused in the case, submitted an application before the court of Special UAPA Judge S.R. Navandar seeking the Gujarat DFS report, which the CBI had submitted to the Bombay High Court in January 2017. Advocate Salsingikar said neither was a copy of the report given to the accused as per the Bombay High court directions nor was it submitted by the agency to the special court, adding that it was vital for the defence to know whether the CBI was relying on it to frame charges against the accused.