Dabholkar murder: Two get lifer, Tawde among 3 acquitted
11 May 2024 08:31:23
PUNE,
NEARLY 11 years after rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar was shot dead in Pune, a special court on Friday convicted his two assailants and sentenced them to life imprisonment for the murder, and acquitted three others, including alleged key conspirator Virendrasinh Tawde, for want of evidence. Reading out the order in a packed courtroom, Additional Sessions Judge (Special Court) P P Jadhav, presiding over UAPA cases, said the prosecution had proved the charges of murder and conspiracy against shooters Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar. The court sentenced them to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh each. The court acquitted three accused, ENT surgeon Tawde, Sanjeev Punalekar and Vikram Bhave, for want of evidence. Dabholkar (67), an anti-superstition crusader, was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne men while he was on a morning walk on Omkareshwar Bridge in Pune city on August 20, 2013.
The court observed that some sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), an anti-terror law, were invoked in the case, but due to the competent officer’s negligence, these charges were not proved. The judge said though Tawde was charged as the conspirator in the case and there was ample scope for doubt against him, the prosecution had failed to convert the suspicion into evidence, which is why he was acquitted of all charges. “In the case of Bhave and Punalekar, even if there is scope for suspicion, there is no evidence, and therefore, both have been acquitted of all charges for want of evidence,” the judge said. Andure and Kalaskar were charged with shooting Dabholkar dead, and charges under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) were proved beyond doubt, he said. The judge further said there is a provision for capital punishment and life imprisonment for these sections and asked the defence and prosecution to put forth their arguments.
Appearing for the accused, advocate Virendra Ichalkaranjikar said the case did not fall under the rarest of the rare category, to which public prosecutor Prakash Suryawanshi said the prosecution did not seek capital punishment. After hearing the brief arguments, the judge sentenced Andure and Kalaskar to life imprisonment and fined them Rs 5 lakh each. The judge also observed that some statements were made during the trial justifying Dabholkar’s killing and said it was regrettable. Reacting to the judgement, Dabholkar’s daughter Mukta said the masterminds of the murder were still at large, and they would appeal against the order in the High Court. His son Hamid Dabholkar said if the masterminds of the killing were not brought to justice, such incidents would be repeated. It is evident from the chargesheet that Dabholkar was murdered for ideological reasons, he said.