Dabholkar murder: Family challenges acquittal of 3 accused

MUMBAI: The family of slain rationalist Narendra Dabholkar has challenged a sessions court verdict acquitting three persons accused of murdering him – Virendra Singh Tawde, Sanjiv Punalekar and Vikram Bhave – from the case. Two other accused who were convicted were acquitted of the offences of criminal conspiracy and commission of terrorist acts under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) although the rationalist was killed in a well-planned manner involving a larger conspiracy, his daughter Mukta Dabholkar has said in the appeal filed before the Bombay high court.
The plea came up for hearing on Wednesday before a division bench of justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan. The bench issued notices to the prosecuting agency – Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) – and the accused in the case and posted the matter for further hearing on September 23.
In her appeal, Mukta Dabholkar said the sessions court had failed to appreciate the fact that those convicted as well as those acquitted were members of the right-wing group Sanatan Sanstha.
“The accused persons hatched this conspiracy to eliminate Dr Narendra Dabholkar, who was expressing his views against the Sanatan Sanstha establishment, the Hindu Jan Jagaran Samiti and other similar organisations,” the appeal claimed.
The appeal contended that the two other accused – Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar – were acquitted of the charges of criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code, under Section 16 (terrorist act) of UAPA and the Arms Act.
Dabholkar, founder of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, was shot dead by two assailants allegedly linked to Sanatan Sanstha while he was on a morning walk in Pune on August 20, 2013.
On May 10, 2024, the Pune sessions court convicted shooters Andure and Kalaskar on charges of murder and sentenced them to life imprisonment. It acquitted the remaining three accused. The charge of UAPA was levelled only against four of the accused. Punalekar was only one charged with destruction of evidence.
Mukta Dabholkar in her appeal said the sessions court had erred in holding that there was no evidence to convict the two accused for criminal conspiracy and that UAPA section was not applicable as the sanction was not valid.