Assailants used the same motorcycle and weapon to kill rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and Communist Party of India leader Govind Pansare, according to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Dabholkar was shot several times on August 20, 2013, outside his house in Pune, and Pansare was killed on February 20, 2015, in Kolhapur. The agency will submit a report on the cases to the Bombay High Court soon.

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti chief Virendra Tawde's black Honda Splendor motorcycle was used for the recce and execution of both the crimes. The police are still looking for the two-wheeler. “The accused never revealed what happened to the bike after it was used in the Pansare case. We suspect that the wanted accused may have disposed of the bike, but we are still trying to recover it,” a senior officer said, according to the English daily.

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Tawde is in police custody in connection with the murders, and police believe that he planned the attacks. The Karnataka CID has sought Tawde's custody in connection with the murder of social activist MM Kalburgi, reported The Indian Express. On Tuesday, the CBI questioned his wife, who is based out of London and who has claimed that the couple had separated two years ago over differences.

The ballistics report has confirmed that the same weapon was used to assassinate both victims. Investigators intend to send bullet shells found at the crime scene where Kalburgi was murdered to the Scotland Yard to see if they are from the same weapon. In December 2015, forensic report confirmed that the same group of assailants used the weapon in all three cases.

The agency also found a hard disk at the Sanatan Sanstha office in Panvel that revealed that the right wing outfit had decided to focus more on "personality specific" attacks on "anti-Hindu activists", instead of planning blasts after several such plans failed.

“We plan to file a writ in Goa High Court, asking them to direct the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which had probed the case to investigate the new evidence against Tawde brought to light by the CBI,” said Dabholkar's son.