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.