Pune Court Sentences Two To Life Imprisonment In Narendra Dabholkar Murder Case; Acquits Three Accused

Additional Sessions Judge PP Jadhav pronounced Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar guilty of Dabholkar's murder, sentencing them to life imprisonment. They were also fined ₹5 lakh each.

However, three other accused, including ENT surgeon Dr Virendrasingh Tawade, Sanjeev Punalekar, and Vikram Bhave, were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

Narendra Dabholkar, who worked against superstitions through his organisation Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, was shot dead by two bike-borne men on a morning walk in Pune on August 20, 2013.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the investigation in 2014 following a Bombay High Court order, identified Andure and Kalaskar as the perpetrators behind the heinous crime.

Tawade, Andure, Kalaskar, and Bhave were charged under Sections 302 read with Section 120B of the IPC for criminal conspiracy and execution of the murder, section 16 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as well as charges under the provisions of the Arms Act.

Accused Sanjeev Punalekar, a lawyer based in Mumbai, was charged under Section 201 of the IPC for allegedly causing the disappearance of evidence related to the case.

The trial in the case began in 2021, though the sessions case had been instituted in 2016.

Dr. Virendrasingh Tawade, alleged to be the mastermind behind the murder, faced charges of orchestrating the assassination. However, he was acquitted along with Punalekar and Bhave, citing insufficient evidence.

The prosecution argued that Dabholkar's murder was part of a conspiracy to silence voices challenging superstition and promoting rationalism. The accused said to be affiliated with the right-wing organization Sanatan Sanstha, allegedly sought to instil fear in those working against superstition.

In 2015, Dabholkar's family petitioned the High Court for the formation of an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. The High Court began monitoring the investigation in August 2015.

However, in December 2022, the High Court decided to discontinue monitoring the investigation, expressing confidence in the trial process.

Case no. – Sessions Case 706 of 2016

Case Title – State of Maharashtra v. Virendrasingh Tawade