<p>The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the CBI to find out if there is a "common thread" in murder cases of Communist leader Govind Pansare and rationalist Narendra Dabholkar in Maharashtra, and Kannada writer M M Kalburgi and journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh in Karnataka.</p>.<p>"If there is a common thread or some common link, it would be in fitness of things, that one investigating agency probes all these cases," a bench of Justices U U Lalit and Navin Sinha said.</p>.<p>The court further said, there appears to be four deaths. There are two schools of thoughts. One is – these four cases are completely unconnected, if so, then state police can go on investigating the matters.</p>.<p>The top court also took into the record an assertion by Karnataka's Additional Advocate General Devadatt Kamath and a status report indicating there is some link between the murder cases of Kalburgi (on August 30, 2015) and Gauri Lankesh (on September 5, 2017).</p>.<p>Maharashtra state counsel Nishant R Katneshwarkar submitted that two petitions were filed in the Bombay High Court with regard to the killing of Dabholkar (on August 20, 2013) and Pansare (on February 20, 2015). </p>.<p>"CBI is handling Dabholkar case on a direction by the high court, after it was found the state police filed a fake ballistic report and arrested two persons" the top court was informed.</p>.<p>It was also stated a Maharashtra SIT was investigating the Pansare's case.</p>.<p>"Both Dabholkar and Pansare's cases are monitored by the high court," it was stated.</p>.<p>In Dabholkar's case, the CBI had already filed a charge sheet in a Pune Court. In the case of Pansare, five persons have been arrested and the matter was pending before a court in Kolhapur.</p>.<p>After a brief hearing, the court asked the CBI counsel to take an instruction if there is a common link and respond. It posted the matter arising out of a petition filed by Uma Devi Kalburgi for consideration in the first week of January 2019.</p>.<p>Umadevi, in her plea, drew parallel between Kalburgi's murder and killings of Dabholkar and Comrade Pansare in Maharashtra and sought a SIT probe by a retired SC judge or a high court judge.</p>.<p>She urged the top court to monitor the probe till it reached its logical conclusion as there was no progress into investigation conducted so far by the Karnataka police. </p>
<p>The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the CBI to find out if there is a "common thread" in murder cases of Communist leader Govind Pansare and rationalist Narendra Dabholkar in Maharashtra, and Kannada writer M M Kalburgi and journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh in Karnataka.</p>.<p>"If there is a common thread or some common link, it would be in fitness of things, that one investigating agency probes all these cases," a bench of Justices U U Lalit and Navin Sinha said.</p>.<p>The court further said, there appears to be four deaths. There are two schools of thoughts. One is – these four cases are completely unconnected, if so, then state police can go on investigating the matters.</p>.<p>The top court also took into the record an assertion by Karnataka's Additional Advocate General Devadatt Kamath and a status report indicating there is some link between the murder cases of Kalburgi (on August 30, 2015) and Gauri Lankesh (on September 5, 2017).</p>.<p>Maharashtra state counsel Nishant R Katneshwarkar submitted that two petitions were filed in the Bombay High Court with regard to the killing of Dabholkar (on August 20, 2013) and Pansare (on February 20, 2015). </p>.<p>"CBI is handling Dabholkar case on a direction by the high court, after it was found the state police filed a fake ballistic report and arrested two persons" the top court was informed.</p>.<p>It was also stated a Maharashtra SIT was investigating the Pansare's case.</p>.<p>"Both Dabholkar and Pansare's cases are monitored by the high court," it was stated.</p>.<p>In Dabholkar's case, the CBI had already filed a charge sheet in a Pune Court. In the case of Pansare, five persons have been arrested and the matter was pending before a court in Kolhapur.</p>.<p>After a brief hearing, the court asked the CBI counsel to take an instruction if there is a common link and respond. It posted the matter arising out of a petition filed by Uma Devi Kalburgi for consideration in the first week of January 2019.</p>.<p>Umadevi, in her plea, drew parallel between Kalburgi's murder and killings of Dabholkar and Comrade Pansare in Maharashtra and sought a SIT probe by a retired SC judge or a high court judge.</p>.<p>She urged the top court to monitor the probe till it reached its logical conclusion as there was no progress into investigation conducted so far by the Karnataka police. </p>