Two Sanatan members killed Narendra Dabholkar: CBI

Three years after two unidentified youths shot dead rationalist Narendra Dabholkar in Pune, the CBI on Wednesday filed its first chargesheet against arrested accused Dr Virendra Tawde, a member of Sanatan Sanstha. The investigating agency has also identified two other members of the Sanstha, Vinay Pawar and Sarang Akolkar, as the two who shot dead Mr Dabholkar in broad daylight on August 20, 2013. Interestingly, both the assailants have been on the radar of various Indian agencies for last seven years and an international red corner notice has been issued against one of them.

The CBI filed the precise 40-page chargesheet before Judicial Magistrate First Class in Pune. While one of the alleged assailants is Akolkar, against whom a red corner notice was issued by Interpol in connection with the 2009 Goa blast case on NIA request, another is Pawar, who does not have any criminal record but is absconding since 2009.

The chargesheet also mentions that Tawde, who was arrested in June this year, was the key conspirator. He is presently in judicial custody at Yerwada Central Prison in Pune. The probe agency has charged him under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code.

According to the CBI, the motive behind the murder of Dr Dhabholkar was allegedly the long enmity and hatred that existed between two private organisations — Sanatan Sanstha and Andhshraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (ANS). While Narendra Dabholkar had founded the Satara-based Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (ANS), ENT surgeon Tawde gave up his practice in 2001 to become a member of Kolhapur-based Sanatan Sanstha. Both the organisations opposed each other, a CBI spokesperson said.

It is claimed in the chargesheet that two eyewitnesses have identified sketches of the attackers.

Welcoming CBI's move to charge Tawde, Dr Dabholkar’s son Hameed Dabholkar said, “It is a positive step. However, Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar are still absconding and CBI should arrest them as early as possible.”

On August 20, 2013, two youths on a motorcycle had shot dead anti-superstition activist Dr Dabholkar while he was on a morning walk on Omkareshwar Bridge at Shanivar Peth area in Pune.