Ketan Tirodkar’s petition for CBI probe in Com. Govind Pansare murder case dismissed by Bombay High Court

Mumbai – A petition filed in 2015 by self-proclaimed RTI activist Ketan Tirodkar seeking a CBI investigation into the murder of Com. Govind Pansare, in Kolhapur, was dismissed by the Bombay High Court, similar to the probe in Dr. Narendra Dabholkar’s case. The division bench comprising Justice Gadkari and Justice Rajesh Patil observed that the investigation is already being conducted appropriately by the state’s investigating agencies and hence, rejected the petition.

Pansare Murder Case: Bombay High Court rejects Ketan Tirodkar’s plea for CBI probe!

📌Those who frivolously waste the court’s time, and cast unwarranted suspicion on investigative agencies, especially when a murder case is already being probed by the SIT, and later, the ATS,… pic.twitter.com/EK4yCTqfDX

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) July 19, 2025

In response to Tirodkar’s petition, Com. Pansare’s daughter-in-law had also filed an intervention plea demanding the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which had already been dismissed by the High Court a few months ago. The SIT was constituted based on the demand of the Pansare family. Later, the court handed over the case to the State Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Both agencies have submitted progress reports to the court.

These reports indicate that the investigating agencies have thoroughly examined every aspect of the case. Furthermore, the sessions court is conducting regular hearings, and as of now, testimonies of 28 witnesses have been recorded, with proceedings scheduled through 2nd January 2025.

Against this backdrop, the Bombay High Court stated that there is no need to keep Tirodkar’s petition pending, nor is there a necessity for special judicial supervision over the case.

Editorial Perspective

When a murder case is already under investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the State Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), those who unnecessarily waste the court’s time and cast doubts on the investigative agencies must be dealt with strictly.