A special tribunal in Pune found Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar guilty. It handed them life sentences for the killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar. They exonerated three other individuals. Narendra Dabholkar murder case: Two individuals, Sachin Andure and Sarad Kalaskar, have been found guilty by a special court in Pune. They have been handed life imprisonment for their involvement in the assassination of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar.In a separate ruling, the court acquitted three others, namely Virendra Tawade, Advocate Sanjeev Punalekar, and Vikram Bhave, due to insufficient evidence. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had previously accused Tawade of being the mastermind behind the crime.
Narendra Dabholkar murder case
The trial for the 2013 murder case began in 2021. It followed a Pune Sessions judge, PP Jadhav. He had recently concluded the case last month. Dabholkar was the founder of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti. He was attacked by two individuals on a motorcycle while he was out for a morning walk in Pune on August 20, 2013.For several years, he had been leading the Samiti, authoring numerous books, and organizing workshops aimed at eliminating superstition. Following his tragic death in 2013, the case was transferred from Pune Police to the CBI by the Bombay High Court, in response to petitions submitted by Dabholkar’s children.
Chronologically of the Narendra Dabholkar murder case
The court was still in the process of hearing the petitions related to the case. Consequently, the authorities arrested five individuals, namely Virendra Singh Tawade, Sachin Andure, Sharad Kalaskar, Vikram Bhave, and advocate Sanjeev Punalekar, in connection with the case. These five individuals were accused of committing various offenses. It includes murder and criminal conspiracy under Sections 302 with 120B or 34, as well as a terrorist act under Section 16 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act along with violations of the Arms Act. Additionally, they faced charges under section 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for tampering with evidence.
