A special court in Maharashtra’s Pune on Friday sentenced two men to life imprisonment for the murder of the renowned rationalist Dr. Narendra Dabholkar. The court acquitted three others, including the main accused Virendrasinh Tawde.

Dabholkar, who was 67 years old and fought against superstitions, was killed while taking a morning walk on Omkareshwar Bridge in Pune on August 20, 2013.

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In a fully packed courtroom, Additional Sessions Judge (Special Court) PP Jadhav read the verdict and stated that the prosecution proved the charges of murder and conspiracy against Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar, adding that they have been given life imprisonment and fined Rs 5 lakh.

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Andure and Kalaskar were identified as the ones who shot Dabholkar. However, the court acquitted accused ENT surgeon Tawde, Sanjeev Punalekar, and Vikram Bhave due to lack of evidence.

During the trial, the prosecution examined 20 witnesses while the defense examined two witnesses. It was argued in the final statements that the accused were against Dabholkar’s campaign against superstition.

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Initially, the case was probed by Pune police. Later in 2014, the CBI took over after a Bombay High Court order and arrested Tawde, linked with the Hindu right-wing group Sanatan Sanstha, in June 2016.

According to the prosecution, Tawde was one of the masterminds behind the murder. Sanatan Sanstha, associated with Tawde and some other accused, opposed the work of Dabholkar’s organisation, the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti.

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The CBI initially named fugitives Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar as the shooters but later arrested Andure and Kalaskar, claiming they were the ones who shot Dabholkar. Punalekar and Bhave were also arrested as alleged co-conspirators.

During the trial, defense lawyer Virendra Ichalkaranjikar questioned the CBI’s changing stance on the shooters’ identity. The accused were charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and UAPA, which included sections 120 B (conspiracy), 302 (murder), relevant sections of the Arms Act, and section 16 (Punishment for terrorist act) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA.

While Tawde, Andure, and Kalaskar are in jail, Punalekar and Bhave are out on bail.

Dabholkar’s murder was followed by the killings of three other activists: Govind Pansare in February 2015, M M Kalburgi in August 2015, and Gauri Lankesh in September 2017. It was suspected that the perpetrators in these cases were connected.