7 days police custody for Dabholkar’s shooter

Sumit Singh

Pune – Sachin Prakash Andure, the main arrested by CBI on Saturday for allegedly being the shooter who killed Dr Narendra Dabholkar in 2013, was remanded to police custody till August 26.

The CBI produced him in a special court at the Pune district court premises in Shivajinagar on Sunday.

Andure’s wife has alleged that CBI arrested her under pressure as the high court passed severe strictures against the agency.

Dabholkar was shot dead by two bike borne assailants on the bridge between Omkareshwar Temple and Balgandharv auditorium on August 20, 2013.

Acting on tipoff from Maharashtra ATS, the CBI arrested Andure, a resident of Aurangabad, in Pune late Saturday evening.

The ATS has arrested few persons for possession of explosives. During investigation one of the accused said that he was involved on Dabholkar’s killing along with Andure. Accordingly, ATS passed on the information to CBI which is investigating Dabholkar’s case.

In 2016, CBI had filed charge sheet against Sanatan Sanstha activist Dr Virendra Tawde in connection with murder case of Dr Narendra Dabholkar.

The agency also suspect role of Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar, who are absconding, in the murder case.

According to CBI, Dr Tawde was in touch with Sarang Akolkar who is wanted accuse in 2009 Goa blast case. “There were email exchanged between Tawde and Akolkar. One witness has come forward and given statement against Dr Tawde. The witness in his statement recorded under sec 164 has said that Dr Tawde has spoken against Dr Dabholkar in a program in Kolhapur in 2004 and after that as well. A black colour Honda motorcycle was used in Dabholkar murder case and Dr Tawde owns a similar bike”, CBI stated in its report.

CBI also added that Dr Tawde was using three mobile phones which were used for secret communication.

The motive for the murder of Dr. Narendra Dhabholkar was allegedly the long enmity/hatred that existed between two private organisations. Dr. Narendra Dhabholkar was the founder of a Satara (Maharashtra) based organisation and the accused(Doctor) was part of another other private organisation based at Kolhapur (Maharashtra). It was alleged that the accused, an ENT doctor gave up his medical profession in 2001 and began to actively propagate the activities of the said Kolhapur based private organisation through his associates. The activities of persons alleged to be against the interests of the Kohlapur organisation got targeted and Dr.Narendra Dhabholkar was an important target.