From Disha Salian to Walmik Karad, the formation of Special Investigation Teams (SITs) under Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ watch rarely delivers substantive outcomes. Despite the significant public interest surrounding cases such as the 2018 Bhima Koregaon clashes (when Fadnavis was Chief minister as well as Home Minister), the promise of justice, be it through SITs or judicial probes, remains largely unfulfilled. Critics argue that these teams, touted as impartial and high-powered, are often used as tools for political expediency rather than vehicles of accountability.
This pattern is all-too familiar and troubling, as it raises the question whether these SITs really designed to uncover the truth, or are they merely a mechanism to placate the public and deflect political pressure? The public’s trust in these investigations has long eroded, as it becomes increasingly evident that SITs are often wielded as political tools rather than independent bodies of inquiry.
At their core, these investigative bodies are meant to instil faith in the justice system and ensure accountability. However, when they are used for political gain, their very purpose is undermined.
In Maharashtra, where political rivalries run deep, the credibility of SITs appears to have taken a serious hit. Under the Fadnavis’ watch, the trend appears to have been even more pronounced. With political motives frequently overshadowing the pursuit of truth, these investigations have increasingly come under suspicion as mere exercises in optics.
Under Fadnavis’ tenure, the formation of SITs has increasingly been seen as a tactical move. The probe into the death of Disha Salian, once manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, is a case in point. Critics argue that Fadnavis, then Deputy Chief Minister, had set up the SIT in December 2023, the delay in resolution and the lack of closure indicate that the Mahayuti government had far more interest in the political capital to be gained, especially by insinuating Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray’s involvement in the case, than in genuinely solving it. If, as BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leaders were claiming, Thackeray was indeed involved, then what explains the delay in putting forth results of the SIT probe?
With little transparency and no definitive conclusions, such SITs have merely served as a distraction, reinforcing suspicions that the investigation was set up as a political move rather than a legitimate search for truth.
Now, in response to public outrage and political brouhaha over the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed, another SIT has been formed. The prime accused Walmik Karad, a close aide of NCP cabinet minister Dhananjay Munde, is a powerful local figure. And yet, key suspects remain at large as the investigation founders amid political posturing.
To avoid the accusation of SITs being political eyewash, Fadnavis must ensure these teams are free to investigate without political interference, prioritizing justice over political gain. Otherwise, the public will continue to view them as mere optics.
Comments