Pune Court Acquits Three in Narendra Dabholkar Murder Case; Two Sentenced to Life

In a significant verdict, a special court in Pune acquitted three individuals, Virendrasinh Tawde, Sanjeev Punalekar, and Vikram Bhave, in the murder case of activist Narendra Dabholkar, while sentencing Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar to life imprisonment. Dabholkar, a prominent anti-superstition campaigner, was tragically killed by two assailants during his morning walk in Pune on August 20, 2013.

The case, which has been under scrutiny for nearly a decade, saw the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) take over in 2014 following initial investigations by Pune police. The CBI’s investigation led to multiple arrests including Dr. Virendrasinh Tawade, an ENT surgeon linked to the Hindu right-wing organization Sanatan Sanstha, and later, the actual shooters, Andure and Kalaskar, were apprehended.

Throughout the trial, the prosecution examined 20 witnesses, presenting evidence that Tawade was a mastermind behind the murder, driven by opposition to Dabholkar’s efforts against superstition through his organization, the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti. Despite these allegations, the court found insufficient evidence against Tawde, Punalekar, and Bhave, leading to their acquittal. The case remains a poignant reminder of the ongoing battle against extremism and the challenges in ensuring justice for advocates of rational thought.

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