4 min readPuneMay 10, 2024 10:52 PM IST
First published on: May 10, 2024 at 09:34 PM IST
Even though two of the accused have been convicted by a special court in Pune for the murder of Dr Narendra Dabholkar on Friday, the acquittal of Dr Virendrasinh Tawade, who was alleged to be a key conspirator of the crime, is seen has a major setback to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Founder of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (ANIS), Dr Dabholkar was shot dead by two motorcycle borne men on the VR Shinde bridge in Pune on the morning of August 20, 2013.
Tawade was the first arrest in this case by CBI on June 10, 2016. His arrest was based on the statement given by Hindutva activist and Kolhapur based artisan Sanjay Arun Sadvilkar, who is also a witness in Govind Pansare murder case.
Two persons had opened fire at Pansare and his wife Uma when the couple was returning home from a morning walk on February 16, 2015. Pansare had died while undergoing treatment at the hospital on February 20. Uma had received a bullet injury, but survived.
In September 2016, a special investigation team (SIT) of Maharashtra police probing the Govind Pansare murder case arrested Tawade and claimed that he was a key conspirator of this crime too. But a court in Kolhapur has granted bail to Tawade in the Pansare murder case in January 2018.
“With the acquittal in Dabholkar murder case, we hope he would be soon released from jail after completion of legal formalities,” said Advocate Prakash Salsingikar, who represented Tawade before the court in Pune.
The CBI’s chargesheet against Tawade stated that in 1998, he attended a public discourse of Sanatan Sanstha founder Jayant Athavale in Kolhapur, and was impressed with his speech. “Tawde was associated with various activities of Sanatan Sanstha in 2003 and remained in Kolhapur till 2005, where he was the coordinator of Sanatan Sanstha. In 2004, the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) started activities in Kolhapur in which Tawde participated,” it is stated.
In the chargesheet, CBI alleged that “Dr Durgesh Samant, a fellow specialist allopathic doctor (MD) and National Spokesperson of HJS instructed Tawde on July 8, 2007 through email to leave all other assignments of HJS and concentrate on the proposed Anti Superstition Bill 2005.”
CBI also alleged Tawade conspired with absconding suspects Vinay Pawar and Sarang Akolkar to kill Dabholkar “owing to the ideological differences’ between Dabolkar’s Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (ANIS) and Sanatan Sanstha.” According to the CBI, an email conversation between Tawde and Akolkar in April, 2009, revealed that the duo were discussing in code language about procurement of firearms.
CBI initially stated in the chargesheet against Tawade that Akolkar and Pawar shot Dabholkar dead. But in August 2018, CBI arrested Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar as the ones who opened fire at Dabholkar.
The court acquitted Tawade of all charges saying there was “a lot of scope for suspicion” against him, but the prosecution failed to produce evidence. However, the trial in the Govind Pansare murder case is still on.
Meanwhile, during a press conference, Abhay Vartak, spokesperson of Sanatan Sanstha said Tawade lost eight years of his life in jail. Vartak blamed the Dabholkar family for carrying out false propaganda against Sanatan Sanstha.
A statement by the outfit said they welcome the court order acquitting Tawade of the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, Sanatan Sanstha seeker Vikram Bhave and lawyer Sanjiv Punalekar of the Hindu Vidhidnya Parishad. The outfit further said it is sure the accused Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar (who have been held guilty and awarded life imprisonment for Dabholkar’s murder) would be acquitted in the high court.
“The court judgment has destroyed the conspiracy to brand Sanatan Sanstha as a Hindu terrorist outfit by framing its seekers under UAPA,” it stated.
Founder of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (ANIS), Dr Dabholkar was shot dead by two motorcycle borne men on the VR Shinde bridge in Pune on the morning of August 20, 2013. (File/ Express File Photo by Sandeep Daundkar) 
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