Narendra Dabholkar murder case: Bombay High Court suspends Sachin Andure’s life sentence

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday suspended the life sentence of Sachin Andure, convicted in the murder case of anti-superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, and granted him bail while his appeal against the conviction remains pending.

A division bench of Justice Sarang Kotwal and Justice Ranjitsinha Bhonsale passed the order on a plea filed by Andure, making him the second convict in the case to secure bail during the pendency of an appeal.

Court questions witness identification process

During the proceedings, the high court raised serious doubts over the manner in which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had got two witnesses to identify Andure.

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The court noted that the accused's photographs were shown to the witnesses instead of conducting a test identification parade. The observation has brought the investigation and identification process under renewed scrutiny as Andure challenges his conviction.

The CBI had taken over the investigation after the case was initially registered at Deccan police station in Pune.

Dabholkar was killed in 2013

Dabholkar, founder of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, was shot dead on August 20, 2013, near his Pune residence while returning from his morning walk. He had also played a role in pursuing the state's anti-superstition legislation.

According to the prosecution, two men riding a motorcycle carried out the shooting. The investigation later identified them as Andure and Sharad Kalaskar, who were alleged to be affiliated with the right-wing organisation Sanatan Sanstha.

A special CBI court in Pune convicted Andure and Kalaskar on May 10, 2024, sentencing both to life imprisonment.

Kalaskar was granted bail earlier

Andure's bail comes months after the high court granted relief to Kalaskar, one of the two alleged gunmen in the case.

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On April 29 this year, the high court suspended Kalaskar's sentence and granted him bail, primarily citing his more than eight years of incarceration.

With Andure now also granted bail during the appeal, both men convicted in connection with the shooting have secured relief from the high court while their appeals remain pending.