The Central Bureau of Investigation has reportedly identified the two assailants who shot dead Maharashtra writer and rationalist Narendra Dabholkar. The agency has also “cracked the plot” behind his killing in Pune in 2013, officials told The Indian Express.
Both shooters – allegedly members of the Sanathan Sanstha – are accused in the 2009 Goa blast case, like fellow Sanstha member Virendra Tawde (pictured above), the prime suspect in the murder who was arrested by the CBI on Friday. While one assailant was identified as Sarang Akolkar, who is absconding, the CBI did not disclose the identity of the other. Tawde headed the western Maharashtra wing of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, an offshoot of the Sanstha.
The CBI’s findings are based on investigations, sketches and emails recovered from Tawde’s laptop. “Our probe has led us to believe that the murder was carried out by a close-knit group of four, with Tawade being the second in command. We have found that Tawade was receiving orders from his handlers and passing them on to Akolkar and another Sanstha member. We believe the last two were the killers, and Tawade and his handler the key conspirators,” a senior official privy to the investigation told The Indian Express.
The CBI raided the Sanstha’s Panvel office in suburban Mumbai and confiscated a hard disk. “The disk will be sent for forensic analysis to study its contents and the kind of material they had gathered against people who spoke against the outfit,” an official said, adding that it will help them ascertain that whether Dabholkar was the only target.
Dabholkar had founded the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti and was known for crusading against the evils of superstition, for which he had received death threats. He was gunned down by two motorcycle-borne assailants near his Pune home on August 20, 2013. The case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2014, after the Mumbai Police were unable to make much headway in it.
The rationalist had attempted to get the Anti-Jaadu Tona Bill (Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Ordinance) passed several times in the state. While the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena had opposed it, claiming it would go against Hindu culture, Dabholkar had maintained that his Bill had little to do with religion. The Maharashtra Cabinet, then led by the Congress, cleared the Bill a day after his murder.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!