Dabholkar murder case: CBI says Tawade is a key conspirator

Tawade, a doctor, was arrested by the CBI from Panvel on Friday evening, days after the probe agency searched his residence on June 1.

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Tawade is taken to court on Saturday. Narensdra Vaskar

A day after arresting Virendra Tawade, a member of pro-Hindutva outfit Sanatan Sanstha, in connection with the August 2013 murder of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar, the CBI on Saturday told a court in Pune that he was one of the key conspirators in the case.

Tawade, a doctor, was arrested by the CBI from Panvel on Friday evening, days after the probe agency searched his residence on June 1. On Saturday, Tawade was produced at a Pune court, which remanded him in CBI custody till June 16.

Seeking Tawade’s custody for seven days, the CBI told the court they wanted to probe the exchange of emails between him and other suspects, especially Sarang Akolkar, who also belongs to Sanatan Sanstha and is an absconding accused in the 2009 Goa blast case with a Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued by the Interpol against him.

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CBI also told the court that Tawade had a black motorcycle and they wanted to investigate whether it was used for the crime.

To back its claim, the probe agency submitted before the court a statement given under section 164 of the CrPC by a witness from Kolhapur, who had reportedly said that Tawade had spoken against Dabholkar during a function in Kolhapur.

CBI sources said the similarities between the murders of Dabholkar in Pune, CPI leader Govind Pansare in Kolhapur and Kannada scholar M M Kalburgi in Dharwad were being examined.

Before the CBI took over the Dabholkar murder case in 2015, the Pune police had arrested alleged arms dealer Manish Nagori and Vilas Khandelwal in the case on January 20, 2014.

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However, the family members of the slain activist had maintained that they suspected the role of pro-Hindutva outfits behind the murder. On Saturday, Dabholkar’s daughter Mukta said Tawade’s arrest was a step in the right direction.

Meanwhile, the Sanatan Sanstha defended Tawade, saying he had been framed.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an assistant editor with The Indian Express with 15 + years of experience in covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has been associated with The Indian Express since 2007. Chandan has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He has done in-depth reporting on the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and hearings of the ‘Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry’. ... Read More

Sushant Kulkarni

Sushant Kulkarni is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express in Pune with 12+ years of experience covering issues related to Crime, Defence, Internal Security and Courts. He has been associated with the Indian Express since July 2010. Sushant has extensively reported on law and order issues of Pune and surrounding area, Cyber crime, narcotics trade and terrorism. His coverage in the Defence beat includes operational aspects of the three services, the defence research and development and issues related to key defence establishments. He has covered several sensitive cases in the courts at Pune. Sushant is an avid photographer, plays harmonica and loves cooking. ... Read More

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