The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today demanded that the "brain" behind the murders of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare should be unearthed.
The CBI, following the leads provided by the state police, claimed to have arrested last week one of the shooters who fired upon and killed Dabholkar in Pune in August 2013.
"Dr Dabholkar murder case could not be solved for five years. After the accused in Gauri Lankesh and M M Kalburgi murders were caught by the police of the neighbouring state (Karnataka), Maharashtra police were able to tie up the loose ends (in Dabholkar case)," said the state NCP chief Jayant Patil here.
"Accused in the Dabholkar case could be nabbed only with the assistance of police from neighbouring states," he said.
"The government should ensure a transparent investigation so that the brain behind these murders is found," Patil said, alleging that a controversial right-wing organisation was behind Dabholkar's murder.