Same gun used to kill Gauri Lankesh, Narendra Dabholkar: CBI

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday informed the Pune court that the weapons seized from the relative of Sachin Andhure’s friend was the same that was used in scribe Gauri Lankesh's murder. The weapon was handed over to Andhure by an accused in the Lankesh murder case along with three rounds. The weapon changed hands over the period and was finally recovered from Aurangabad by joint teams of CBI and Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS).

The CBI produced Andhure before the court in Pune on Sunday and informed the court that the accused revealed during his interrogation that an accused in the Lankesh murder case had given the weapon to him, following the killing. The weapon and three rounds were then passed on, on August 11, to his brother-in-law Subham Surale in Aurangabad.

“Soon after this was found, a team of CBI searched Surale’s residence. It was learnt that the weapon was now passed on to his friend Rohit Rege. A team of the CBI then searched his residence at Dhawani Mohalla in Aurangabad and seized the weapon,” CBI officials told the Pune court.

The black colour country-made pistol and three rounds have now been sent for forensic analysis to ascertain if it matches the findings of the investigation. The CBI also told the court that they are yet to find the two-wheeler that was used by Andhure and Sharad Kalaskar, who gunned down Narendra Dabholkar in August 2013.

The CBI has also secured a warrant against Kalaskar, who is in the custody of the ATS, for interrogating him jointly with Andhure. Kalaskar’s custody will finish on Tuesday, when the CBI will seek his custody. The court granted further custody of Andhure to CBI till September.