Harsh Baljee was murdered in November 1996 in the high security area of the Western Command (now ARTARC) when he was returning home from his restaurant, on the Mall. The case currently being investigated by the Crime Branch of the state CID has not made any headway and police continue to be clueless.

``There is no point in waiting endlessly for justice as the police is not serious about investigating the case. My patience has come to an end,'' the widow says. Renu Baljee had also filed a fresh complaint before the state Human Rights Commission informing that her life was in danger and there was a threat to her personal security. This was her second complaint to the rights panel in less than a month.

The widow, who looks after the entire business of her late husband says she had met the Chief Minister to seek his intervention in the matter and ensure that investigations were taken up speedily, but in vain. Baljee told ENS that she would soon submit a letter to the Chief Minister pleading that the case be handed over to the premier investigating agency.

A similar request for transfer of the case to CBI was also made by Inderpal Chaudhry, a main suspect in the case, whose Special Leave Petition was dismissed by the Supreme Court early this month. It was after Chaudhry's petition that the case was transferred to the crime branch from Shimla police.

Baljee blames the police for casual and utterly flippant handling of the investigations.`` I have extended all cooperation, provided vital clues and moved pillar to post to ensure that the culprits are brought to the book. Today, I am completely exhausted and cannot move from one police officer to another to pursue the investigations any more,'' Renu says.

Police say that the case has many dimensions and conflicting evidence which was prolonging investigations. A senior police officer said unless there was strong evidence, it was difficult to make arrests.