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23rd August, 2013 would remain for ever a Black Day in the history of social reforms. Dr. Narendra Dabolkar was widely known for his fight to eradicate superstitious. He had been hailed as a relentless warrior of Maharashtra. On that sorrowful day when he was enjoying a morning walk in Pune, two ruffians riding a bike bumped on him, shot him dead and fled. There were numerous twists and turns during the hearing related to this gruesome murder.
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As per the advise of higher level courts of law, the case was on full swing for about ten long years, in the Special court, under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). On 10th of May, 2024 the verdict was pronounced, declaring five ruffians as criminals associated with the murder of Dabolkar.
They are –
1. Sachin Prakashrao Andure 2. Sarad Bhanusaheb Kalasker 3. Virendra Singh Davade, 4. Sanjeev Punelkar and 5. Vikram Bhave. All the five accused belong to a forum called Sanathan Sanstha, the headquarters of which is in Goa.
The fundamental rubric of criminology is that the backdrop of a crime must be analysed before focussing on the crime and that the motive of a murder must be deeply probed into. If multiple murders are committed by one single individual, the murderer himself must be dissected meticulously. These basic rubrics have been ignored in this case.
The revolver used to kill Dabolkar has been used later to kill others too later. After Dabolkar, Govind Pansare was murdered in 2015; M.M.Kalburgi in the same year; and Gowri Lankesh in 2017 – all the murders in the same pattern as that of Dabolkar. Dabolkar was killed in Pune; Govind Pansare in Kolhapur; Kalburgi in Dharwar and Gowri Lankesh in Bangalore. They were all shot dead by the same revolver as per reliable reports. Investigations revealed that all these serial killings were preplanned probably by one particular individual or by one mysterious orgamisation.
The Verdict:
The special court awarded life sentence and a penalty of five lakh rupees to Sachin and Sarath. But Virendra Singh Davade, Sanjeev Punelkar and Vikram Bhave have been acquitted.
Dabolkar’s murder was initially being investigated by the crime branch but later the case was handed over to the C.B.I. The Pune police and the CBI have stated in the F.I.R. that Virendra Singh was the master mind behind the murder. Virendra Singh Davade is an ENT Specialist, as well as the Senior executive of Hindu Jan Jagriti Samithi, a branch of Sanatan Sanstha.
A prosecution witness has confessed that in 2004, when Dabolkar attended a public event, Virendra Singh Davade had a heated argument with him over some issue. Moreover, Davade has asked the witness a few days before Dabolkar’s murder to arrange a revolver for his use.
Though the role of Davade in this murder had been clearly specified in the FIR and in the confession statement of the witness, CBI has failed to prove and establish the truth. This was reported in ‘Hindustan Times’ daily and also in New Age weekly. It was widely discussed by people in public. The judge who pronounced the verdict has also clearly indicated all these in his judgement, as follows in a nutshell:
“There was a lot of scope for suspecting Virendra Singh Davade, but the prosecution has failed to provide evidence for it. There is definitely suspicion on the two convicts who were acquitted, but due to lack of evidence they are being acquitted.”
In February 2022, the CBI declared in Mumbai High Court that it was the plan of Davade to finish off the opponents of Sanatan Sanstha outfit. The CBI reiterated that Dabolkar’s murder was indeed an act of revenge by Davade. The CBI also revealed that the forum members were all blindly following the codes prescribed by their scripture known as “Sastra Tatma Sanatan”.
Sanatan Sanstha members and Hindu Jan Jagriti Samiti members had taken a pledge to eliminate all those who were against their policies and principles. They seek solutions through violence. They have been spreading fear and terror among the people of the country. This coterie has been a great threat to public safety and social order.
The third accused Punelkar who got acquitted is an advocate.
In 2008 when there were bomb blasts in Thane and Panvel in Maharashtra, he had argued defending the Hindu fundamentalists. The criminals who were sentenced, confessed that in 2017 when Gowri Lankesh was shot dead, Punelkar had advised them to throw away the revolver in a reservoir near the spot. The fifth accused Bhave was with the killers of Dabolkar.
The street on which Dabolkar was murdered was a busy street full of hustle and bustle. The CCTV cameras on the street would have captured the murder in action but none of those footage proof has been taken for consideration during the hearing of this case.
A dormant case was triggered
After the chain of brutal murders, their link with Sanatan Sansta got exposed. It was clear that they were all interconnected in a way. The case which was in doldrums rose from the bottom of the entire mess. The inquiry and hearing started when Siddaramiah was the Chief Minister of Karnataka.
The case registered in 2016 by their efforts was taken up for hearing after inordinate delay. It got a serious attention quite late. In the meantime, the family members of Pansare appealed to the Mumbai High Court to speed up the hearing.Only then the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) was formed and the case gained momentum.
The defence lawyer of the convicts justified the murders and portrayed Dabolkar as an anti-Hindu rather than as a warrior against superstitions. Justifying the act of the criminals was indeed atrocious.
The members of Sanatan Sansta are called ‘Sathaks’. In 2008 when there were bomb blasts and violent riots, many of the ‘Sathaks’ were arrested. In a bomb blast of 2011, two “Sathaks” were arrested and sentenced for 10 years imprisonment.
In Goa, during the eve of Diwali, a festival is held every year to celebrate the death of the Giant Narakasur. The members of Sanatan Sansta consider this day as a day of protest against the Hindus. There was a growing demand for the ban of this forum of Hindu fanatics. In 2011, the Maharashtra Anti-terrorist Squad submitted a report in this regard to the Home Ministry but no action has been taken so far against the outfit ‘Sanatan Sansta’.
Hence, the members have been indulging fearlessly in various criminal activities. If this forum had been banned at the right time, we would not have lost the precious lives of the warriors against superstitions – social reformers, progressive writers and rationalist free thinkers.
Why was the case dormant for a long time?
The charge sheets submitted initially by the Police and the CBI had clearly furnished the particulars of the murderers and of the people who were hand-in-glove with them. But as days passed by, for reasons unknown or owing to the pressure by higher level authorities to dampen the case, the CBI officials kept the entire case in doldrums. This slackening on their part was also pointed out by the judge who pronounced the verdict.
In Dabolkar murder case the culprits might have been punished by law but the master minds behind the crime are freely roaming around even today. It is high time, all the other cases of murders are also brought for inquiry and justice at the court of law. The criminals who have been sentenced for imprisonment may also appeal to the higher level courts for revocation. The weapons are punished. Those who handled them are yet to be identified.
The ruffians who actually planned all the murders or the forum that was behind them, should be punished. Unless this is done such heinous crimes would not end. In Dabolkar murder case, only two culprits have been sentenced. What about the others? It continues to be an unanswered question. Therefore, we can say that Dabolkar case is not over yet. It is to be probed into further deeply.
In the case of Gandhi – Assassination, there was an involvement of Hindutva promoters. They were acquitted for want of solid evidences. In the case of the murders of Dabolkar and other fighters against superstitions too, their involvement and roles have not been proved for want of solid evidences. We have to wait and watch the ultimate outcome. Delay in justice may also turn out to be denial of justice.
