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Bombay High Court grants bail to Sharad Kalaskar in 2013 Dabholkar murder case, questions his identification as assailant

Last year, the High Court granted bail to Kalaskar in a murder case of CPI leader Govind Pansare.

2 min readMumbaiUpdated: Apr 29, 2026 03:47 PM IST

The bench clarified that it had expressed doubt due to the Test Identification Parade (TIP) conducted by the CBI officer inside his chamber.

The report “prima facie” opined that “the possibility of the Petitioner indulging in the same or in similar activity cannot be ruled out”.

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Sharad Bhausaheb Kalaskar, convicted in the 2013 murder of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, raising doubts over his identification as the assailant.

Last year, the court granted bail to Kalaskar in a murder case of CPI leader Govind Pansare, citing incarceration for nearly seven years and the trial taking a long time to conclude.

Dabholkar, 67, a prominent anti-superstition activist who founded the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants in Pune on August 20, 2013. In 2024, a special court convicted his assailants — Kalaskar and Sachin Prakashrao Andure — and sentenced them to life imprisonment for the murder.

Also Read | Dabholkar murder: 2 get life in prison, alleged mastermind among 3 acquitted

A division bench of Justices Ajey S Gadkari and Ranjitsinha R Bhonsale held, “Application allowed. Bail be granted on usual conditions.”

After the prosecuting agency sought a stay of four weeks on the implementation of the order to approach the Supreme Court with the challenge, the HC noted, “As in the present order, we have prima facie expressed our doubt about the identity of the applicant as the assailant, the said prayer is rejected.”

The bench clarified that it had expressed doubt due to the Test Identification Parade (TIP) conducted by the CBI officer inside his chamber.

The High Court passed an order on an interim application filed by Kalaskar in his appeal challenging the conviction.

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The Pune Police, who first probed the murder, handed over the investigation to the CBI in 2014 on a High Court directive. The High Court started overseeing the probe in August 2015, and the trial began in September 2021, once charges were framed against the five accused.

In May 2024, Special Judge P P Jadhav, while convicting Kalaskar and Andure of murder, acquitted three others, including alleged mastermind Dr Virendrasinh Sharadchandra Tawade, lawyer Sanjiv Gajanan Punalekar, and activist Vikram Vinay Bhave, citing insufficient evidence.

All of them are associated with the Sanatan Sanstha, a right-wing charitable trust.

Omkar Gokhale

Omkar Gokhale is a journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates exceptionally strong Expertise and Authority in legal and judicial reporting, making him a highly Trustworthy source for developments concerning the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court in relation to Maharashtra and its key institutions. Expertise & Authority Affiliation: Reports for The Indian Express, a national newspaper known for its rigorous journalistic standards, lending significant Trustworthiness to his legal coverage. Core Authority & Specialization: Omkar Gokhale's work is almost exclusively dedicated to the complex field of legal affairs and jurisprudence, specializing in: Bombay High Court Coverage: He provides detailed, real-time reports on the orders, observations, and decisions of the Bombay High Court's principal and regional benches. Key subjects include: Fundamental Rights & Environment: Cases on air pollution, the right to life of residents affected by dumping sites, and judicial intervention on critical infrastructure (e.g., Ghodbunder Road potholes). Civil & Criminal Law: Reporting on significant bail orders (e.g., Elgaar Parishad case), compensation for rail-related deaths, and disputes involving high-profile individuals (e.g., Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty). Constitutional and Supreme Court Matters: Reports and analysis on key legal principles and Supreme Court warnings concerning Maharashtra, such as those related to local body elections, reservations, and the creamy layer verdict. Governance and Institution Oversight: Covers court rulings impacting public bodies like the BMC (regularisation of illegal structures) and the State Election Commission (postponement of polls), showcasing a focus on judicial accountability. Legal Interpretation: Reports on public speeches and observations by prominent judicial figures (e.g., former Chief Justice B. R. Gavai) on topics like free speech, gender equality, and institutional challenges. Omkar Gokhale's consistent, focused reporting on the judiciary establishes him as a definitive and authoritative voice for legal developments originating from Mumbai and impacting the entire state of Maharashtra. ... Read More

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