Shrikant Pangarkar, a former member of Jalna corporator was also detained
WEB DESK
A special court in Pune on Sunday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take in custody Sachin Andure, allegedly to be one of the shooters of rationalist Dr. Narendra Dabholkar till August 26. Sachin Andure was arrested on Saturday.
In yet another development, Shrikant Pangarkar, a former member of the Jalna Municipal Council, was detained on Sunday by the CBI following Andure’s interrogation. His home in Jalna was searched by agencies.
According to authorities, Andure has alleged that Pangarkar was with him at the time of Dr. Dabholkar’s murder.
Earlier in day, the CBI escorted Andure, a resident of Aurangabad’s Kuwarphalli area and produced him before the court of judicial magistrate first class, A. S. Mujumdar a little after noon amid heavy police deployment.
Arguing for a 14-day CBI custody, Special Public Prosecutor Vijaykumar Dhakane submitted before the court that as Andure was the main shooter, the agency would need more time to determine how and from whom had he obtained his instruction in firearms and what became of the weapon and the motorbike that was used during the crime, report the Hindu.
Advocate Dhakane further submitted that Dr. Virendra Tawde, the ENT specialist and radical Hindutva activist had masterminded the crime and that besides Andure and Sharad Kalaskar, two others were involved in the murder.
Counsel for the defence, advocate Prakash Salsingikar, argued that Andure’s arrest was a clear case of political pressure on the probe agencies.
“The CBI, in its September 2016 charge sheet against Dr. Tawde has already named Sanatan Sanstha activists Vinay Pawar and Sarang Akolkar as the assailants. So, where does the possibility of Sachin Andure as the principal shooter arise?” said advocate Salsingikar.
Andure’s name cropped up during the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad’s (ATS) interrogation of Sharad Kalaskar.
The ATS had arrested Kalaskar along with fringe rightwing activist Vaibhav Raut from Nallasopara in Mumbai, and Sudhanwa Gondhalekar from Pune on August 10, for allegedly planning disruptive activities in several parts of the State.
According to the ATS, Kalaskar and Andure have confessed to being the motorcycle-borne assailants who had gunned down Dr. Dabholkar on August 20, 2013 during his morning stroll on the Omkareshwar Bridge in Pune.