Dabholkar's kin question slow pace of probe on his 4th death

Maharashtra Andhshraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS) and people from various walks of life today held a protest march over the "slow pace of probe" into the killing of the city-based rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, on the occasion of his fourth death anniversary.

Noted filmmaker and actor Amol Palekar, actor Sonali Kulkarni, activist Baba Adhav were among the prominent persons who joined the march 'Jawab do' (give answers).

The march started from Omkareshwar bridge, where Dabholkar, founder of MANS and anti-superstition activist, was shot dead by two bike-borne assailants on August 20, 2013, and culminated at the Sane Guruji Memorial on the Rashtra Seva Dal premises located on Sinhgad Road.
 

"It has been four years, but the real perpetrators behind the murder of Dabholkar are still at large. We would like to question the government and the probe agencies over the slow pace of investigation into the killings of rationalists," said Hameed, the son of Dabholkar.

He said they have been raising the voice against the killing of rationalists for the last four years, but there is "no breakthrough in the investigation".

"Only after MANS brought pressure through a writ petition in the High Court, the investigation in the Dabholkar murder case moved further with the arrest of Virendra Tawde. However, the main accused Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar are still at large," he said.

Hameed said they wanted to know from the government when will Pawar and Akolkar will be arrested. The duo are also accused in the killing of Communist leader Govind Pansare who was shot dead in 2015.

"The pace of investigation in all the rationalists' killings is disheartening and painful and that is why we have been running this 'Jawab do' campaign for the last one month and posing questions to the state government over the arrests of real perpetrators," he said.

MANS executive president Avinash Patil said the aim of the campaign was to question the government why the killers of rationalists Dabholkar, Pansare and Kannada scholar M M Kalburgi, who belong to "radical ideologist groups", are not inquired or arrested.

Noted lyricist Javed Akhtar and journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, who took part in the event at the Rashtra Seva Dal premises, addressed the gathering.

Akhtar said any place where questioning is not allowed, is a dangerous place.

"The system, the government, the society, where questioning is not allowed will not be a good place. Humans solved the biggest riddles of the world just by asking questions," he said.

Meanwhile, Hindu Janjagruti Samiti and Sanatan Sanstha too staged a counter protest 'jawab do' alleging financial irregularities in Dabholkar's MANS.

The CBI, probing the killing of Dabholkar, arrested Sanatan Sanstha seeker Virendra Tawde on June 10, 2016.

Along with Tawde, CBI named Pawar, who has been missing since 2009, and Akolkar, who is absconding in the October 2009 Goa blast case, as main suspects.

According to the agency, Akolkar and Pawar had allegedly shot Dabholkar dead when he was on the morning walk.