Dissatisfied with the progress, the Bombay High Court yesterday pulled up state police and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the murder cases of rationalists Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar. Since Goa’s Sanatan Sanstha, a non-profit organisation, is also under scanner in Pansare’s murder, the HC bench referred to it as “place of worship” and asked cops to not be scared of investigating them, as such places have been found to be “dens of crime” earlier.

“When you visit places of worship, don’t think of it as holy place since these places can be dens of crime. Don’t visit holy places to shake hands, we have seen how spiritual people have indulged in crimes. You should not be scared of investigating such places. It’s your duty and you’re bound by it,” observed the HC bench comprising Justices S C Dharmadhikari and Shalini Phansalkar Joshi, while hearing two petitions — one filed by Smita Pansare, daughter-in-law of Govind Pansare, asking for a fair investigation, and another by activist Ketan Tirodkar, who demanded that like the Dabholkar case, the Pansare case be transferred to the CBI.