Maharashtra CID to seek custody of Dabholkar murder accused Virendra Tawde

Mumbai: Maharashtra CID would seek custody of Virendra Tawde, alleged member of right-wing group Sanatan Sanstha who has been arrested in rationalist Narendra Dabholkar murder case, to ascertain if there was a conspiracy linking the killings of activist Govind Pansare and Dabholkar, the probe agency informed the Bombay High Court on Monday.

Government pleader Sandeep Shinde, appearing for the state CID, told HC that the agency would seek Tawde’s custody to establish the link, if any, among the Dabholkar, Pansare and scholar M M Kalburgi murder cases.

Another right wing activist Sameer Gaikwad had earlier been arrested in the Pansare murder case.

Justice Sadhana Jadhav was hearing a petition filed by the CID challenging a May 2016 order of a sessions court refusing to stay the trial against Gaikwad.

The CID then approached the high court seeking to stay the trial till a forensic report from Scotland Yard police was obtained. The impending report pertains to a bullet and some cartridges recovered in the Pansare murder case that were sent by CBI, which is probing the Dabholkar case, to the UK for forensic tests last month.

The forensic reports would ascertain if there was any link between the Pansare, Dabholkar and Kalburgi murder cases.

The high court had in June this year granted interim stay on the trial against Gaikwad.

“Apart from the forensic report, the CID will soon take custody of the arrested accused (Tawde) in the Dabholkar murder case to establish conspiracy angle and to ascertain the link between the three murders,” Shinde said, adding that the CID would amend its petition to include this point.

Gaikwad’s advocate Sanjeev Punalekar, however, dismissed these arguments and said till date there is nothing on record to show any link between the murders.