Mumbai, Jun 1 (The Hindu): The transfer of police inspector Amrut Deshmukh — who is investigating the murder of rationalist Govind Pansare — to Nagpur was cancelled on Tuesday. The move comes after a delegation led by Mr. Pansare’s daughter Smita Pansare and the leader of opposition in the Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, pointing out that the investigation was at a sensitive stage, and the transfer could hamper it.

Mr. Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, conceded the demand, and issued orders to this effect. Mr. Deshmukh is a police inspector at the Rajarampuri police station in Kolhapur, who has been the investigating officer in the case.

The delegation, which included CPM State secretary Omrade Prakash Reddy, also urged Mr. Fadnavis to appoint a special investigation team (SIT) headed by an IPS officer to continue the investigation. “This will ensure that the SIT can investigate the case full time, and arbitrary transfers of police officials probing the case do not take place. The Chief Minister indicated his consent to our demand,” Mr. Vikhe Patil said.

The delegation also expressed displeasure over the tardy pace of the investigation to which Mr. Fadnavis said that steps would be taken to speed it up.

Shot at
Mr. Pansare was shot at by two motorcycle-borne assailants in February 2015 when the 84-year-old communist leader and his wife Uma were returning home from their daily morning walk near their residence in Kolhapur. While his wife survived, Mr. Pansare succumbed three days later at Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai. Samir Gaikwad, a member of right-wing Sanatan Sanstha, has been arrested in the case.