HC asks Maharashtra ATS to submit progress report in Govind Pansare murder probe

Pansare was shot at on February 16, 2015 in Kolhapur and succumbed to his injuries a few days later on February 20.

The Bombay High Court on Saturday asked the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) to submit a report on the progress it has made in the probe into the murder of activist Govind Pansare.

The high court had earlier this month transferred the investigation to the ATS. The case was earlier being probed by a special investigation team (SIT) of the Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Senior advocate Ashok Mundargi, appearing for SIT, on August 20 informed the court that a team of 10 ATS officers and three officers from the CID SIT has been formed for the probe.

The bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Sharmila Deshmukh then called for a progress report from the ATS.

The court had on August 3 allowed the application filed by Pansare's family members and transferred the probe to the ATS.

The SIT was constituted in 2015 following a high court order passed on a plea filed by the activist's family members seeking such a special team.

The activist’s family members had last month filed an application in the high court seeking for the probe to be transferred to the ATS, claiming that the SIT has not been able to make a breakthrough in the case yet.