A special court in Pune has issued its verdict in the murder case of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, who was shot nearly 11 years ago. The court convicted two assailants and sentenced them to life in prison, but three others, including suspected mastermind Virendrasinh Tawde, were acquitted owing to insufficient evidence.

Presiding over the case, Additional Sessions Judge P P Jadhav delivered the decision, finding Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar guilty of both murder and conspiracy. They were condemned to life in jail and fined Rs 5 lakh apiece, reported PTI. 

According to the PTI report, the court, however, acquitted Tawde, Sanjeev Punalekar, and Vikram Bhave due to a lack of evidence. While the prosecution claimed that Tawde was a crucial conspirator, the judge said there was uncertainty but no actual proof against him.

“Though Tawde was charged as the conspirator in the case and there was ample scope for doubt against him, the prosecution had failed to convert the suspicion into evidence, which is why he was acquitted of all charges. In the case of Bhave and Punalekar, even if there is scope for suspicion, there is no evidence, and therefore, both have been acquitted of all charges for want of evidence,” the court noted, per PTI. 

Andure and Kalaskar were charged with shooting Dr Dabholkar, and the court ruled them guilty beyond a doubt. The judge emphasised the gravity of the crimes and permitted arguments for execution punishment or life imprisonment, the report added. 

According to the report, Advocate Virendra Ichalkaranjikar, who represented the defendants, argued against capital punishment, claiming that the case did not fit under the rarest of rare categories. The prosecution did not pursue the death penalty.

In addition to the sentence, the judge voiced concern about statements made throughout the trial that justified Dabholkar`s murder. He advised activists to examine the seriousness of such statements.

“It is pertinent to point out that any person`s murder is an unfortunate thing. However, some statements came from the defence counsel during the trial justifying the act, which was regrettable, and the advocates of the accused should think about this,” the judge said.

Dabholkar`s family voiced disappointment with the judgement, claiming that the masterminds behind the murder were still at large. They want to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court to ensure justice, the report added. 

On August 20, 2013, while out for a morning walk in Pune, Dr Dabholkar, an anti-superstition activist, was shot and killed. The investigation was initially led by the Pune Police and later taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The case raised concerns about ideological violence against rationalists and campaigners.

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