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THE Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in its final report submitted to the court in the murder trial of Dr Narendra Dabholkar has said that examination of two absconding Sanatan Sanstha members Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar is necessary to “unearth larger conspiracy of the murder because they were associated with the prime accused and ENT surgeon Dr Virendrasinh Tawade.”
The CBI on September 13 submitted its final report to the designated special court for cases under anti-terror law Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), which is conducting the trial. The court of Additional Sessions Judge P P Jadhav accepted the report on Monday.
The prosecution has also submitted to the court an evidence closing pursis earlier marking conclusion of prosecution evidence in trial. A pursis is a written submission made to a court in a matter pending before it.
The CBI’s final report marks the closure of the investigation by the CBI till any new evidence comes to light. The CBI has said in its final report that if any new evidence comes to light, further investigation will be carried out with the court’s permission. With the court accepting the final report on Monday, it was admitted as an exhibit in the case and was given an exhibit number.
The Indian Express has learnt that the final report states that the CBI made attempts during its investigation into Dabholkar murder to trace two Sanatan Sanstha members Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar. The final report further states that examination of Akolkar and Pawar was necessary to unearth the larger conspiracy behind the murder of Dr Dabholkar as they were ‘actively associated’ with the prime accused and alleged mastermind in the case Dr Virendrasinh Tawade, an ENT surgeon and Sanatan Sanstha office-bearer.
This submission of the CBI to the court holds significance in the light of a key contradiction in the CBI’s investigation on who were the shooters of Dr Dabholkar.
In the CBI chargesheet against Tawade submitted to the court on September 8, 2016, the agency named Akolkar and Pawar as the two assailants who shot Dabholkar. This chargesheet also stated details of a purported email conversation between Akolkar and Tawade. Akolkar also wanted in connection with the 2009 Goa blast case and a Red Corner notice was issued by Interpol in July 2012. Both Akolkar and Pawar are said to be absconding since 2009.
However, in August 2018, CBI arrested Sanatan Sanstha members Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar in the Dabholkar murder case. And contradicting its earlier claim, the agency submitted before the court that Andure and Kalaskar had opened fire at Dabholkar. Tawade, Andure and Kalaskar are among the five accused who stand trial in the case.
The next hearing in the case is now scheduled to take place on October 19.
