Flashback 2015: Casual conversations give Gaikwad away as prime accused

Prompted by a spate of murders of prominent rationalists, the heat was turned up on extremist organisations like the Sanatan Sanstha this year. The chargesheet filed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case says that a 14-year-old boy has identified Sameer Gaikwad, the prime suspect in the murder of Comrade Govind Pansare. The boy not only identified the accused, but has also given a detailed description of what the assailants were wearing, their bags, motorbike etc. Gaikwad’s friend and member of Sanatan Sanstha Jyoti Kamble has also admitted in the chargesheet that Sameer had mentioned: “Done with Pansare. Should I do (the same) with Nikhil Wagle.” Another vague reference of the killing came in a conversation between Gaikwad and another Sanatan member Anjali Jharkar.

It was not the first time that Sanatan Sanstha appeared in the news for its unlawful activities. But this time it remained in the public eye throughout the year for its alleged involvement in Pansare’s killing. Earlier, in 2008, six persons owing allegiance to Sanatan Sanstha were arrested for planting bombs in auditoriums in Thane and Vashi and a movie theatre in Panvel. In 2011, two of the accused were found guilty and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. Six members of the Sanstha were arrested in the Goa blast case under the UAPA. Its members Rudra Patil and Sarang Akolkar have been declared absconding by the National Investigation Agency.

In February 2015, Pansare was shot dead at Kolhapur and after six months of the incident, Sameer, a Sanatan member was arrested by police. However, it was not all that simple. The investigation against Sanatan Sanstha got accelerated only after Karnataka progressive writer M.M. Kalburgi was shot dead on August 30 in a similar way.

Rationalist leader Dr Narendra Dabholkar was the first victim of the extremist elements who was killed in 2013, but his murderers have still not been traced. However, the killings of three public figures forced the investigative agencies and the governments to intensify their operation against the fringe elements. A demand on banning the organisation was also intensified during the period. It was also alleged by a few that the BJP-led Maharashtra government arrested Gaikwad only after the Congress-led Karnataka police had reached to him in the Kalburgi killing case.

“It is true that Gaikwad was wanted in the Kalburgi case too. However, the Maharashtra police arrested him before the Karnataka police to save face. The mouthpiece of the organisation has been writing against the rationalist leaders who were killed, but the police ignored the Sanatan. It is not only the Communist Party that has been demanding investigation in the Sanstha’s activities and banning of the organisation, but common people have also raised their voice against the extremist organisation after which things started changing.

The state machinery had no option but to bow before the public outcry and hence the arrest took place. There is no need to give credit to the state as it was following a routine process of filing the chargesheet and denying bail to the accused. It happened only after the Sanatan was exposed before the public, mounting pressure on the state government to dig deeper. However, I still doubt if the government really wants to go further in the investigation, as all the right wing extre me organisations are well connected and one cannot imagine where it would lead to,” communist leader Prakash Reddy said.

However, Sanatan Sanstha has cried foul over the arrest of their member. Defending the organisation. Sanatan spokesperson Abhay Vartak said “Sanatan Sanstha may have opposed these rationalists like no one did, but at the same time we do not support violence in any form. If at all we wanted to get rid of these individuals, we would have never opposed them through the medium of legal and intellectual deliberations. An individual perishes, not his thoughts; hence, we want to stop the anti-Dharma thoughts spread by an individual and not finish the individual himself. ”

Allegations and counter-allegations are part of the whole case, however, the investigative agencies are definitely scanning the activities of the organisation carefully.

It was also reported that some of the Sanstha members were questioned by the CBI in the killing of Dr Dabholkar. “After so much exposure of the organisations and many hints leading towards its unlawful activities, we are not ignoring any information related to the organisation. We cannot reveal the investigation details about the on-going cases, but we are more alert and cautious about right wing activities throughout the state,” an investigation officer from the home department said, on condition of anonymity.

All said and done, family members of the victims are not happy with investigation progress. “It has been 28 months since Dr Dabholkar’s murder, but there has been no breakthrough. It is a good thing that the case has been handed over to the CBI. But, we have been demanding that a senior official be appointed for the investigation. We do get updates on the investigation, but the culprits are still out of reach,” said Mukta, daughter of Dr Dabholkar.

The police may have upped their antennae regarding right wing activities now, but the Sanstha was formed in 90s and has been involved in various activities under the garb of protection of Hindu religion. It has a few ashrams across the state and a hundreds of followers and full-timers work towards the goal of setting up a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ (Hindu state). Its literature throws light on how to achieve its goal ideologically. Books like Love Jihad describe extreme hatred towards Muslims. A concept of ‘Ishwari Rajya’ tries inculcating anti-democracy values.

It has numerous books on costumes to be worn by men and women, answers to sexual problems through self-hypnotism, how to worship god etc. Over a decade, the organisation has developed itself into a cult attracting people from all strata of the society by giving them solutions right from personal problems to political issues.

Justifying the ideas, Sanatan Sanstha spokesperson Abhay Vartak said, “The mission of setting up Ishwari Rajya is to develop an ideal dharma-abiding society for the Hindus, by the Hindus. Thousands of kings have considered dharma as the nucleus of governance and have ruled in an ideal manner.”

So the question is: did the progressive movement, just like the police, fail to judge the Sanatan Sanstha since the beginning “It is true that they have indulged in arms training, vicious writing against rationalists, involved in building a network by brainwashing youths, but were ignored. However, blaming only the progressive movement is not correct. Comrade Pansare was leading the battle against extreme right wing elements ideologically and through a mass movement, hence he was targeted. Even after the Sanatan has been exposed, the state seems to be going soft on it. No major progress in all the three killings poses the question if the government is really serious about nabbing the culprits,” Mr Reddy said.

The case against Sanstha is on the right track. A lot depends on the police investigation, chargesheet filed, court proceedings and also the government’s support to the police. Though awareness about fringe elements has been heightened for the past few years, public opinion or action has not been aggressive in tackling the issue. Maybe leadership like that of Pansare could help put it on the right track.