NIA cannot probe murder of M M Kalburgi: Centre to Supreme Court


New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI): The Centre today told the Supreme Court that the NIA, being a special agency to probe national and inter-state terrorism cases, cannot investigate the murder of noted scholar and rationalist M M Kalburgi in 2015 at Dharwad in Karnataka.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra was hearing the plea of Uma Devi Kalburgi, the widow of the slain scholar, seeking a SIT probe into the sensational murder.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand, appearing for the Centre, referred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act and said the instant offence did not fall under the category of 'Schedule offence' under the law and hence, the probe agency cannot investigate it.

The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, considered the submission of the ASG and ordered listing of the plea in the first week of July. It asked the CBI and the governments of Maharashtra and Karnataka to file their responses in the meantime.

77-year old Kalburgi, the former Vice-Chancellor of Hampi University and a well-known scholar and epigraphist, was shot dead in broad daylight at his residence in Kalyan Nagar in Dharwad, Karnataka, on August 30, 2015. Born in 1938, he was a Sahitya Akademi award-winning writer of old Kannada literature.

The top court had on January 10 sought the response of probe agencies NIA and CBI and the two state governments on the allegation of Uma Devi that no substantial investigation has been carried out so far in the murder case.

Kalburgi's wife, in her petition filed through advocate Krishna Kumar, has alleged that there was a common link between the murder of her husband and that of intellectual activists, Narendra Achyut Dabholkar and Govindrao Pansare, who too were assassinated in August 2013 and February 2015 respectively.

Dabholkar was shot at on August 20, 2013, in Pune, while Pansare was killed in Kolhapur in Maharashtra on February 16, 2015.

She said the investigations in Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases were in a "sorry state" and no progress has been made in bringing the killers to book.

The petition said that in 2016, the then Karnataka Home Minister had in a statement claimed that as per the forensic analysis of cartridges recovered from the three separate crime scenes, the three murders were linked.

It alleged that one of the weapons used in the murder of Pansare was used to kill Kalburgi and therefore coordination between Maharashtra police and Karnataka police, besides the CBI and the NIA, was required.

"Although sketches of suspects were released after four days of Kalburgi's murder and a statement was issued by Karnataka government that conclusive evidence of nexus of murders of all three activists was found, there has been no progress in the investigation till date," the plea has said.

  

Top Stories

Comment on this article

  • SMR, Karkala

    Sat, Mar 24 2018

    One of the India's prestigious investigative agency has full capability for investigating in Hadiya legal marriage case, but have not in capacity to investigate rationalist M M Kalburgi case?

    If NIA is incapable of their job then I would request Home Minister of Karnataka to hand over this case to 'Scotland Yard' with full access to investigations.
    Jai Hind

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • PEDDA GUNDA, MANGALURU

    Sat, Mar 24 2018

    Its a challenge to our Education System. The brilliant mighty IAS , IPS, MBA etc etc education is not enough to find & solve a petty issue. The political system is not allowing to do so. ! !

    DisAgree [1] Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse

  • IQBAL, athoor

    Sat, Mar 24 2018

    The Centre today told the Supreme Court that the NIA, being a special agency to probe national and inter-state terrorism cases, cannot investigate the murder of noted scholar and rationalist M M Kalburgi in 2015 at Dharwad in Karnataka

    NIA IS BUSY?? in Bangalore rudres murder andKERALA bASED Dr. hADIYA case

    ( NIA court has ordered that all five men accused of hacking RSS leader Rudresh R to death in broad daylight near Shivajinagar last year would be tried)

    DisAgree [1] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Af,,, Mangalore

    Sat, Mar 24 2018

    Shobhakka was keen interest and in hurry to bring NIA branch in mangalore,Now may be feel nervous.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Stan, Udupi/Dubai

    Sat, Mar 24 2018

    When they can investigate Love Jihad cases , why cant they investigate KALBURGI case?.Justice delayed is justice denied.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ahmed K.C., Mangalore

    Sat, Mar 24 2018

    Stan,
    I assume that NIA is formed to tackle "Terrorist" cases. If a case is alleged as "Love Jihad", means Terrorists are involved. In Kalaburgi's murder they are sure that no terrorists are involved. In other words, Those who killed him are not Terrorists but, someone who can't be labelled as terrorists. So, NIA can not probe such case.

    DisAgree Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • JK, southkanara

    Sat, Mar 24 2018

    Shows state govt. not capable to identify and arrest the culprit a total failure of law and order in the state... They did not even get a BALI KA BAKRA to file case... Super Nidde .....

    DisAgree [12] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Vincent Rodrigues, Bengaluru/Katapadi

    Sat, Mar 24 2018

    Why not NIA for investigating this sensitive criminal case pending for long

    DisAgree Agree [16] Reply Report Abuse

  • PEDDA GUNDA, MANGALURU

    Sat, Mar 24 2018

    NIA is reserved for communal issues only

    DisAgree [3] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • Vivek, Hirebyle / Abu dhabi

    Sat, Mar 24 2018

    how can i Investigate??.... the MISTAKE which i did my OWN ......

    DisAgree [3] Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • JK, southkanara

    Fri, Mar 23 2018

    Need to understand which hand to use and where ? Also know the purpose and functioning of NIA, CBI, RAW, MI and State Police, State Intelligence and CID.... Initially Govt boasted and telling its Police force is capable to handle ANY CASE and no need for any Central Agencies to interfere... So early you lost confidence in these hard working Police force.... Very strange but true that Intelligence report say this time Congress will loose election,,, that is why they want NIA to handle the Kalburgi case now...

    DisAgree [27] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • JK, southkanara

    Fri, Mar 23 2018

    NIA is simlar to CIA / KGB / MOSAD. State Govt should take proper action to investigate crimes happening with its Police , Intelligence and CID. If it fails to do so, then refer the case to CBI. Each Security organization has its own purpose and functioning. Some stupids say NIA is reporting to chaddi, what State Police and Home minister doing in this case ? Reporting to duffers and sickulars with Langoti ? Tackling terrorism and National Security is done by NIA and Special task force including BSF and Army. What state intelligence is doing for such a long period ? Reporting BLANK Report to Nidrama because he is sleeping always... State is to boast about they are capable to handle this case, CBI is not required why not call for NIA ? Lost confidence in OUR State police ? Better Quit than play drama...

    DisAgree [25] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • S. M. Nawaz Kukkikatte, Dubai

    Fri, Mar 23 2018

    Center allow NIA only for RSS activist murder and Love Jihad case Probe

    DisAgree [6] Agree [66] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Fri, Mar 23 2018

    NIA reports to Chaddis ...

    DisAgree [7] Agree [52] Reply Report Abuse

  • Swamy, Mangalore

    Fri, Mar 23 2018

    If there is will there is way. But centre has put a blockade to that way.

    DisAgree [5] Agree [50] Reply Report Abuse


Leave a Comment

Title: NIA cannot probe murder of M M Kalburgi: Centre to Supreme Court



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.