Narendra Dabholkar case: Court extends Virendra Tawade’s CBI custody till June 20

A local court in Pune, extended the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody of Virendra Tawade till June 20. Tawade is an accused in the murder of anti-superstition crusader Narendra Dabholkar.

He was produced before the court, as the last day of his custody ended on Thursday. Sources said CBI lawyer B.P. Raju informed the court that Tawade was not cooperating with investigators. He added that they needed more time to interrogate the accused regarding many other facets of the case.

Tawade, a doctor, was arrested at his Panvel house on June 10, for his alleged role in the murder of Dabholkar. Subsequently, his name cropped up in the murders of Govind Pansare and Karnataka-based rationalist M.M. Kalburgi.

Following the murder of Dabholkar in 2013, the case was transferred to the CBI in 2014 by the Bombay high court. Tawade is the first person to be arrested in the case.

Tawade is a member of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, an offshoot of the pro-Hindutva outfit Sanatan Sanstha. CBI officials have alleged that he had been vocal in his opinions of Dr Dabholkar and clearly mentioned his dislike for the rationalist in a public function in Kolhapur in 2004. They have further alleged that Tawade and Sarang Akolkar, a Sanatan Sanstha member, had conspired to murder Dabholkar in 2009.

The CBI has also sent phones seized from Tawade for forensic analysis, Sources said that they hoped to retrieve texts sent from his phones to determine whom he had been in touch with.

Don’t ban Sanatan: Gandhi Even as the Sanatan Sanstha distanced himself from the arrest of Tawade, several questions have been raised about the organisation. Members of Congress in Goa demanded that the Sanatan be banned. Following this, Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi on Thursday said he was against banning the organisation. “I am opposed to this culture of banning. Therefore, I oppose the demand that Sanatan Sanstha be banned. Banning any organisation is undemocratic,” said Mr Gandhi. “I come from an ideology that is opposed to the culture of banning. I feel it is unjustified to ban anyone. It’s better to prosecute them and penalise them,” he said. “When you ban anyone, you convert them into martyrs and as a result, they get more sympathy,” he added.