Journalism of Courage
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers, probing the sensational murder of noted anti-superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar in Pune, questioned Sameer Gaikwad, a Sanatan Sanstha worker arrested last year by the state police for his alleged links with the murder of veteran Communist leader Govind Pansare in Kolhapur.
Two unidentified motorcycle-borne youths had shot Dabholkar dead on August 20, 2013, while he was on a morning walk around 7.15 am on the Omkareshwar bridge near Balgandharva auditorium in Pune.
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In a similar manner, two unidentified persons had opened fire on Pansare and his wife Uma while the couple was returning home from their morning walk on February 16, 2015. Pansare had died while undergoing treatment at the hospital on February 20. Uma, who had also received a bullet injury, later suffered paralysis. Also, noted scholar MM Kalburgi was gunned down by unidentified men at his residence in Dharwad, Karnataka on August 30, 2015.
Gaikwad, the only person arrested so far in the Pansare murder case, was arrested on December 14, 2015. On January 20, 2014, the Pune police had arrested alleged arms dealer Manish Nagori alias Manya (24) and Vilas Khandelwal (22) in the Dabholkar case. The arrest was based on a ballistic report of firearms seized from the duo after they were arrested by Mumbra Police in an extortion case on August 20, 2013, the day when Dabholkar was murdered in Pune. The report suggested that one of the firearms (seized from Khandelwal) matched with the “markings” on a cartridge seized from crime scene. The CBI has not made any arrests in this case yet. Also, no arrests have been made in the Kalburgi murder case.
As striking similarities were observed in all the three murders, the investigation teams probing the cases are known to be working in co-ordination with each other. Even the courts have asked the probe teams in the three cases to work with proper co-ordination. Apparently, the CBI team probing the Dabholkar murder case questioned Gaikwad in a Kolhapur jail on Wednesday. Sources said this is part of the ongoing investigation. “Gaikwad was questioned based on some specific things that emerged during the investigation. Nothing more can be shared at this point of time,” sources said.
The CBI is already probing Sanatan Sanstha’s involvement in the murder case. In February, the CBI got permission from a magistrate court in Pune to conduct polygraph test of two Sanatan Sanstha workers, Hemant Shinde and Nilesh Shinde. As per the application filed by the CBI before the magistrate court, it is looking into the role of Hemant, a resident of Shivaji Nagar, and Nilesh, a resident of Mangalwar Peth.
“Both were found deceptive in their Forensic Psychology Assessment and Forensic Statement Analysis,” it is stated in the application. The CBI now wants to conduct a polygraph test on the duo. The CBI told the court that the duo has shown their consent for the test to be conducted at CFSL unit in Belapur, Navi Mumbai. The CBI is yet to conduct this polygraph test. Sanatan Sanstha, however, claimed that the CBI is falsely implicating Hemant Shinde, Nilesh Shinde, Niraj Yengul, Mahendra Sahasrabuddhe, Yeshwant Sahasrabuddhe, Gajanan Keskar, Krishna Kumbhar in murder case of Dr Dabholkar.
