Narendra Dabholkar Killing: Congress, NCP rap police's failure to nab assailants

The 69-year-old Dabholkar was killed by two unidentified persons on a broad day like on August 20 in Pune

The Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) government in Maharashtra faces a major embarrassment as even after 18 days of the murder of the well-known rationalist, Narendra Dabholkar, the assailants are still at large. Congress’ member of Parliament (MP) Hussain Dalwai expressed strong displeasure over the failure of the police to arrest the killers and demanded the National Investigation Agency (NIA) take over the investigations.

The NCP, which holds the crucial home ministry headed by R R Patil, also joined the bandwagon and criticised the home department and the Pune police in particular for their failure to arrest the killers.

Activist Medha Patkar made a strong case for handing the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Dabholkar, 69, was killed by two unidentified persons in broad daylight on  

August 20 in Pune. The assailants remain untraced. The Pune police recently got tips from anti-terrorist squad chief Rakesh Maria.

Dalwai's demand forced the Congress and Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to swing into action. Chavan admitted the killers were yet to be arrested, but said the government was open to handing the case to the CBI.

“It is indeed sad that nearly three weeks have passed, but the Pune police continue to grope in the dark over Dabholkar's killing," said  Nawab Malik, state spokesperson of the NCP.

Already, Dabholkar's family and a couple of non-government organisations have expressed concerns over the sorry state of affairs. Dabholkar's son Hamid, too, has demanded the killers be nabbed at the earliest.

The chief minister had announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for those identifying the assailants. He had compared the murder to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

“The way Gandhiji's voice was suppressed, the same way Dr Narendra Dabholkar's views and its power were killed by people who did not agree with it. The government will find the killers and their sources,” he said. Prior to his brutal killing,  Dabholkar was actively spearheading the anti-superstition movement in Maharashtra. Dabholkar, who headed the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti,  was lobbying for the passage of a comprehensive Bill against blind faith, black magic, witchcraft and superstitious practices, treading many toes.

Following his murder, the state government announced an ordinance on anti-superstition, black magic and blind faith.

It seeks to make it punishable for self-styled godmen to prey on people by offering rituals, charms, magical cures and propagating black magic. It is expected to be passed during the winter session of the state legislature, set to begin on December 9.

Shiv Sena, which had earlier raised its reservations against the ordinance, has now expressed its support. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party is insisting on a debate.