By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
Mumbai: A division bench of Bombay High Court has given the state an ultimatum to transfer the Hari Masjid firing case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by Friday.
Farooq Mapkar a survivor of police firing on Hari Masjid has filed a petition to seek CBI probe. State government have filed an affidavit last year that it will ask CBI to investigate. But there have been no progress so far. Twice CBI rejected Maharashtra government’s requests since it did not follow the specified procedures.
Justice SB Mhase and VK Tahilramani directed the state authorities to issue the necessary notification for the transfer of the case. The bench refused to give more time saying that “It (the documents) can be prepared in half an hour. If desired it can be done overnight.”
Justices came down heavily on state authorities for their delay tactics in referring the case to the CBI. “You (state) should have followed the system like in other cases,” said Justice Mhase. “It appears, as if you were waiting for them (CBI) to say no.”
During the 1992-93 Mumbai riots, unprovoked Police firing on Hari Masjid on January 10th, 1993 resulted in death of seven and many more injured.
Srikrishna Commission blamed the then sub-inspector Nikhil Kapse for killings and fabricating stories to provide justification for their misdeeds. Nikhil Kapse have never been punished for his involvement in this incident and now he is posted in economic offences wing of the Mumbai crime branch as assistant police inspector.