Narendra Dabholkar murder case remains unsolved even after 2 years

By NewsGram Staff Writer

Pune: It is the second death anniversary of rationalist Dr. Narendra Dabholkar, who was shot dead in the city, yet the culprit still continues to outrun the law. Several hundred activists, including Dabholkar's wife and his two children, held a march in protest on Thursday morning.

Dabholkar, a medical turned campaigner against superstitions and black magic through his Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (ANS), was shot by unknown motorcycle-borne assailants near the VRS bridge in the city while on a morning walk on August 20, 2013.

"It has been two years and investigators are yet to achieve a breakthrough. We have a single point demand–nab his killers immediately," said his daughter Mukta Dabholkar, who along with her brother Hamid are carrying forward their father's legacy.

The protestors gathered at the exact spot where he was shot dead and at the exact time, 7.55 a.m., when he was shot dead; marching around two kilometres carrying placards, banners and shouting slogans. The march of rational activists who wore black bands, was led by Dabholkar's children and his wife Shaila, before they staged a daylong protest.

Sandip Shetty, brother of slain RTI activist Satish Shetty, slain Communist leader Govind Pansare's daughter Smita, and other prominent citizens and activists from across the state, participated in the protest march. The protest march marks the end of a year-long campaign, including street plays performed to highlight Dabholkar's ideology, 'aartis' and marches all over Maharashtra.

"It is a shame that the government has failed to nab the assailants even two years after the murder," said Hamid.

He had earlier accused the state government of "trying to hide something" since all evidences have been handed over, but so far there has been no breakthrough.

The case was handed to the CBI in May 2014, after the Maharashtra police was unable to solve even in the time span of one year. The CBI released sketches of two suspects in the killing in May 2015, but there has been no progress after that. The CBI had also pleaded shortage of staff and requested additional officers, but it is yet to be cleared by the state government.

The Maharashtra police has questioned nearly 1,000 people in the past two years, including 'tantriks', godmen and black magicians against whom Dabholkar campaigned vigorously, but without much success.

The activist's killing had prompted the state government to enact the revolutionary 'Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices, and Black Magic Act, 2013', which is commonly known as the anti-superstition and black magic law.

With inputs from IANS