Bombay High Court notes lapses in Shiv Sena (UBT) leader’s FB live death, transfers probe to CBI

Bombay High Court orders CBI probe into murder of Shiv Sena leader Abhishek Ghosalkar during Facebook Live.

The Bombay High Court on Friday (September 6, 2024) directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe into the murder of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai councillor Abhishek Ghosalkar, who was shot dead during a Facebook Live. The High Court noted several lapses in the initial investigation by the Mumbai Police crime branch. It also pointed out that police did not investigate the case from certain angles as they should have.  

Noting the loose ends in the case, the Division Bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Shyam C. Chandak passed the order on a petition filed by Tejasvee Abhishek Ghosalkar, widow of Mr. Ghosalkar.  

The Bench said, “The investigation of the crime registered at the M.H.B. Colony Police Station, which had been handed over to the crime branch, is now transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Zonal Director of the CBI is instructed to appoint an officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police from the IPS cadre to lead the investigation. The CBI may select its own team of officers. The relevant parts of the investigation are to be handed over to the CBI as soon as possible, and no later than within two weeks from today.”

Abhishek Ghosalkar was shot thrice on February 8 evening when he was speaking live on Facebook (Meta) about his political work. The assailant, Mauris Noronha, later shot himself dead. The incident took place at IC Colony, Borivali, in the suburbs of Mumbai. Mr. Ghosalkar was rushed to the nearby Karuna Hospital in north Mumbai but was declared dead on arrival.

Hearing the petition, the Bench said, “The Crime Branch has not investigated the cold-blooded murder of the petitioner’s deceased husband properly, nor have they looked into all the angles, much less investigated any other angle, which will throw light on the complicity or involvement of others, apart from Mauris, who shot himself, post shooting the deceased. The police had not probed certain angles of the case, and this would lead to miscarriage of justice. It was a cold-blooded murder. The said killing was seen live on Facebook, which was aired from Mauris Noronha’s office.”

“The maze of suspicious circumstances has not been pierced and solved and most importantly, some vital aspects which ought to have been investigated have not been investigated. If all angles of a case are not examined as in the present case, it would lead to travesty of justice,” it observed.