TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2024
Team Herald
A Special Court has sentenced two accused persons to life while acquitting three others in the Dr Narendra Dabholkar murder case. Five accused were facing trial for the murder of Dr Dabholkar who was the founder of Maharashtra Andhshradha Nirmulan Samiti (Committee for Eradication of Superstition).
The sentence was pronounced by the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act Special Court Additional Sessions Judge A. Jadhav. The sentence has come after 11 years of trial. Accused Sharad Kalaskar and Sachin Andure have been sentenced to life with a fine of Rs 5 lakh. Three other accused namely Virendra Singh Tawde, Virkram Bhave, and Sanjiv Punalekar have been acquitted due to lack of evidence.
Dr Narendra Dabholkar was shot dead on August 20, 2013, in a busy locality of Pune while he was out on a morning walk. However, Hamid Dabholkar, son of Narendra Dabolkar has expressed his disbelief as the investigation has failed to find the prime accused.
The investigation that was being handled by the Maharashtra police earlier was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2014 after which the trial was restarted.
Criticising the delay in starting the trial the Maharashtra Andhshradha Nirmulan Samiti held protests across the State. Progressive writers and activists Com. Govind Pansare, Dr Kalburgi, and Gauri Lankesh were later murdered similarly.
