Narendra Dabholkar murder case: Suspect Akolkar recced Pune before murder, says CBI

“While the plan to eliminate Dabholkar was being discussed between Tawade and Akolkar through coded emails and secret meetings since 2008, it was only in 2010 that Akolkar clearly discussed ‘targeting’ Dabholkar on emails exchanged between the two. As per the plan, which the group managed to bring into shape only in 2013, Akolkar was assigned the job of carrying out the recce. He did this in June 2013. Subsequently, once the weapon was made available, Akolkar and another co-accused executed the plan on August 20,” a senior official told The Indian Express.

Two unidentified persons fired at and killed Dabholkar in Pune on August 20, 2013, while he was on a morning walk.

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According to sources, Dr Tawade, during interrogation, blamed Akolkar, calling him a ‘mad man’ who was driven by the idea of killing Dabholkar. “While he claims innocence and says that he has no role to play, he has shifted the blame on to Akolkar, calling him the key conspirator. However, when we confronted him about the emails that he had sent Akolkar, where Dabholkar is described as their target, he refused to divulge details,” the official added.

Sarang Akolkar

Akolkar has been on the run ever since his name cropped up in the 2010 Goa blasts case, but he reportedly managed to sneak into Maharashtra on numerous occasions. On June 1 this year, CBI sleuths had specific information on Akolkar’s whereabouts and had therefore raided his Pune residence but Akolkar managed to give them the slip.

The agency is also perplexed how Akolkar has managed to be on the run since 2010 despite a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against him. The agency suspects that members of his organisation are assisting him. “When we raided his flat, we found his electricity bills till the month of March, were paid. If this man has been on the run since 2010, who is managing his affairs?” questioned another official.

Sources said the role of senior members of the outfit would be part of the second leg of the probe.

Meanwhile, even as the Maharashtra Government is yet to decide on the two proposals sent by its Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) to ban Sanatan Sanstha, the CBl plans to indict the outfit for its role in the Dabholkar murder case and suggest a ban on it in its final report.

A final report will be sent to the CBI chief before a chargesheet is filed in the case. This report will also be shared with the Union Home Department, sources said.

“From the evidence gathered in the case so far, it is quite clear that the murder was a handiwork of the members of the Sanatan Sanstha and was sanctioned by its senior officials. Given this and the fact that the outfit was involved in various other conspiracies in the country, we will mention this in our final report, which will be sent to the director, CBI. In the said report, we will also mention that the state government should ban such anti-national outfits,” a senior official said.

“Banning an outfit is a state subject and we are a central agency. We don’t have the mandate to write directly to the concerned state. However, the issue can be taken up by the Home department,” added the official.

In 2008 and 2011, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad had written to the state Home department after the role of the outfit cropped up in blasts cases registered in the state. However, no action has been taken so far by the state government.