Hari Masjid probe at ‘snail’s pace’, will monitor from now: High Court

“It’s at snail’s pace. It will take another 16 years,” the judges remarked when the CBI counsel submitted that certain things are out of their control as the case is 16 years old. When the CBI counsel sought six more months to complete the investigations,Justice Nazki said the court will monitor the case and gave four weeks’ time to show the progress. He said it is a complicated case but noted that the CBI was not interested in the case from day one.

The high court had on December 18,2008,directed the CBI to register an offence to investigate the case and file a report within six months on a petition filed by a victim — Farook Mapkar. The CBI had filed a first information report in the case in February against the then police sub-inspector,Nikhil Kapse,who was held “guilty of unjustified firing” and “inhuman and brutal behaviour” by the Srikrishna Commission report.

Mapkar,who was chargesheeted for murder and rioting in 1992-93,had urged the court to initiate action against Kapse. Mapkar,whose trial was separated from the case after he raised objections,was acquitted of all charges by the city civil and sessions court earlier this year.