Govind Pansare case: Sanatan lawyer demands safety for witness

In a very unlikely move, the lawyer of accused Sameer Gaikwad has sent a letter to the police in Kolhapur demanding protection to a 14-year-old boy, the lone witness in the killing of Comrade Govind Pansare. The lawyer has also demanded that the trial should be conducted in 15-20 days to avoid a situation similar to that in the Salman Khan hit-and-run case where witness Ravi Patil’s statements were not considered by the court due to his death. However, the Congress has termed it as a threat by Sanatan Sanstha.

Sanjeev Punalekar, lawyer of Gaikwad and secretary of Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad, has written the letter to senior police inspector of Rajarampuri police station on December 22 on behalf of Gaikwad. He has also revealed the name of the minor which was kept secret so far by the police. The minor boy is the sole witness in the case, as he has identified Gaikwad while shooting Pansare.

“We are worried about the minor boy whose name was kept secret by the police so far. Western Maharashtra is known for criminal activities. We fear that the witness and his family have a threat to their lives. The boy goes to for cricket practice and tuitions everyday. The police should provide 24-hour security to him and his family,” Mr Punalekar wrote in the letter.

The lawyer has also said that if any untoward incident takes place, his letter should be treated as evidence.

The case against Gaikwad is on going in the Kolhapur local court and police has filed a chargesheet against the accused. The police had tapped the telephone conversations of Gaikwad, based on which a case has been built.

Recalling the Salman Khan hit-and-run case, Mr Punalekar said witness Ravindra Patil’s statements were cancelled after his death.

“Therefore, it is necessary in the Pansare case that every witness should give statements before the court before their deaths. The hearing of the case should be conducted every day,” Mr Punalekar said.

When The Asian Age tried to contact Mr Punalekar and another lawyer of Gaikwad Virendra Ichalkarnjikar, both remained unavailable for comment on the issue.

Terming the letter as a “threat”, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant demanded that a complaint be lodged against the Sanatan Sanstha.

“If the witness has any threat then it is from the Sanatan itself. It is a serious matter that the Sanatan has given out the entire information of the boy’s whereabouts. The Sanatan has gone up to the level of stalking the witness and hence strict action should be taken against the organisation,” Mr Sawant said.