“The Supreme Court inquired on Friday whether there existed any “common thread” linking the murders of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, CPI leader Govind Pansare, activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh, and scholar M M Kalburgi.
Narendra Dabholkar, an advocate against superstition, was fatally shot by two motorbike assailants during his morning walk in Pune on August 20, 2013. Pansare was assassinated on February 20, 2015, Lankesh was murdered on September 5, 2017, and Kalburgi was shot dead on August 30, 2015.
During a hearing on a petition by Mukta Dabholkar, the daughter of Narendra Dabholkar, challenging the April 18 ruling of the Bombay High Court to discontinue monitoring the investigation into her father’s murder, a bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia posed this query to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Mukta Dabholkar’s counsel, senior advocate Anand Grover, informed the bench about a broader conspiracy underlying these four murders, suggesting potential connections between them. He highlighted that the evidence available hinted at possible interlinks, a point previously raised before the high court by Mukta Dabholkar.
Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia questioned Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, representing the CBI, if there was indeed a lack of a common thread among the accused on trial in the Dabholkar case. Justices Dhulia and Kaul requested the CBI to delve into the matter and explore these potential connections.
The bench pointed out that although the trial was ongoing, two of the accused remained at large and had not yet been apprehended. Bhati shared that 20 witnesses had been examined in the Dabholkar case trial.
Acknowledging the petitioner’s argument about a wider conspiracy, the bench allowed two weeks for the submission of documents, including translations of pertinent portions, to aid the ASG in assessing the potential broader connections in these killings. Subsequently, the ASG was granted four weeks for this examination. The case’s listing was set for eight weeks later.
During a previous appearance on May 18, Anand Grover had informed the apex court that the CBI suspected a possible common link in the killings of Dabholkar, Pansare, and Lankesh, citing shared weapons and individuals involved.
The high court had declared on April 18 that no further monitoring of the Narendra Dabholkar case investigation was required after nine years of oversight. Several petitions, including Mukta Dabholkar’s request for continued monitoring, had been disposed of.
In 2014, the high court had transferred the investigation from Pune police to the CBI in response to a petition by Mukta Dabholkar and another activist.
In 2021, a special Pune court had framed charges against Virendra Sinh Tawde, the alleged mastermind of the crime. Tawde and three others were charged with murder, criminal conspiracy, and terror-related offenses under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Another accused, Sanjeev Punalekar, faced charges of evidence destruction.
