Dabholkar (67), an anti-superstition crusader, was shot dead while on a morning walk on Omkareshwar Bridge here on August 20, 2013.
However, a lawyer representing Dabholkar's daughter claimed before the court that the CBI has not investigated the case properly and there are many loopholes that are yet to be probed.
CBI officers who supervised investigations into the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata and the killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar are among those awarded police medals on Republic Day.
Activist Narendra Dabholkar, who was in the forefront of a campaign to persuade Maharashtra government to pass an anti-superstition and black magic bill, was shot dead in Pune on Tuesday morning by unknown assailants.
The rationalist has proved to be a greater voice of reason in death than he was during his lifetime.
The investigating agencies could not expose the masterminds behind the murder of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, and must introspect whether it was a mere failure or a 'deliberate inaction' due to the influence of any 'person in power', the trial court here said on Friday in its judgment.
Indrani Mukerjea, in pure white, sporting dancing pearl jhumkas, bobbed about the accused box, occasionally floating up front to whisper urgent suggestions to her lawyer Ranjeet Sangle as retired cop and prosecution witness Dinesh Kadam gave her a long look. Vaihayasi Pande Daniel returns to cover the Sheena Bora murder trial after 18 months.
Additional sessions judge A A Jadhav of the special court for cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is likely to pronounce the judgement on Friday, said special public prosecutor Prakash Suryawanshi.
Former IPS officer Meeran Borwankar claims political interference hindered justice in the Malegaon and 7/11 blasts, and the Narendra Dabholkar murder case. She cited instances of pressure on investigators and prosecutors.
A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and SVN Bhatti said the high court has passed a reasoned order while granting bail to the accused in the matter.
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation whether there was any "common thread" in the murders of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, Communist Party of India leader Govind Pansare, activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh and scholar M M Kalburgi.
Shah also said that such murders have taken place in Pakistan too, mentioning the violent deaths of politician Salman Taseer and rights activist Sabeen Mehmood.
Dabholkar, who headed the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013, allegedly by members of a right-wing extremist group. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting a probe into the case.
Remarks by Congress and NCP (SP) leaders in Maharashtra suggesting the term 'Sanatani terrorist' have sparked a controversy, drawing strong criticism from the BJP, which accuses them of 'Hindu hatred' and 'appeasement politics'.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday submitted to a special court here a list of documents and witnesses that it would like to rely upon in the trial of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar murder case.
Dabholkar was shot dead on August 20, 2013 near his home in Pune, while he was on a morning walk.
A worker of right-wing organistaion Sanatan Sanstha picked up from Goa by Pune police, as part of their probe into the murder of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar.
Expressing anguish over no breakthrough in rationalist Narendra Dabholkar murder case even after a month, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday alleged the killing could be "state-sponsored" one.
The defence on Wednesday refused to admit the list of 13 documents, including the spot 'panchnama', submitted by the prosecution in the rationalist Narendra Dabholkar murder case in a court here in Maharashtra.
Rijiju said that at present, there is no proposal to ban right-wing group Santhan Sanstha.
CBI lawyer B P Raju sought further custodial interrogation of the accused, saying he was not cooperating with the investigating agency.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has argued in a court that the five accused in the 2013 murder case of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar be tried under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for striking "terror among a section of people".
Hamid Dabholkar, son of the slain rationalist thinker and founder of Maharastra Andhshradha Nirmulan Samiti, said there is a "striking similarity" between the three murders.
Political parties and social organisations have called for a bandh in Pune on Wednesday to protest the murder of anti-superstition crusader Narendra Dabholkar.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for giving credible information about absconding accused Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar in the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar.
A foreign sea explorer agency recovered the firearm from a creek in neighbouring Thane district of Maharashtra.
A local court on Saturday remanded Virendra Tawade, a member of Hindu Janjagruti Samiti and an accused in the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, to Central Bureau of Investigation custody till June 16.
The Bombay High Court has discontinued its monitoring of the investigation into the 2015 murder of communist leader and rationalist writer Govind Pansare, directing the sessions court to expedite the ongoing trial. The decision comes after a report by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) indicated that the investigation has been thoroughly conducted, with only the arrest of two absconding accused remaining. The court has ordered daily hearings for the trial, which has already begun and has seen 28 prosecution witnesses examined as of December 16, 2024.
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Sanatan Sanstha, the Hindu right-wing group often at loggerheads with Narendra Dabholkar, on Wednesday sought to distance itself from the anti-superstition activist's killing.
Jayant Narlikar wrote alternative what-if histories, explained difficult scientific theories with funny analogies, and leavened his lectures with jokes and humorous asides.
The conspiracy was hatched by Virendra Sinh Tawde (already arrested), Kalaskar and others, CBI lawyer said.
The police haven't yet made any arrest in the killing of Narendra Dabholkar, five days after the eminent rationalist was shot dead that sparked an outrage and prompted the Maharashtra government to go in for an anti superstition and black magic ordinance.
The CCTV footage, recovered by cops immediately after murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar on Tuesday, has not yielded any concrete clues on the identity of the unknown assailants who gunned down the activist on a Pune bridge during a morning walk.
So far, six people, including Hindu Janajagruti Samiti member and ENT surgeon Virendrasinh Tawde, Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar, have been arrested by the CBI in connection with the killing of Dabholkar.
The HC asked the investigators to look beyond their current line of probe to apprehend the culprits.
With no headway in the police probe into the killing of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar nearly a month ago, a Public Interest Litigation has sought transfer of the case to the National Investigation Agency.
Claiming that there was a link between the accused in the two cases, the CBI on Friday took the custody of Bangera and Digvekar from the Karnataka SIT.
Dabholkar was shot dead in August, 2013 while Lankesh was shot dead in September, 2017.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said his government has taken serious note of the death threat to Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and that he has given instructions for a probe.
The Bombay high court on Thursday granted bail to Vikram Bhave, an accused in the killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar in 2013.
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