India: Central Bureau of Investigation names Virendra Tawde of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) as key conspirator in Narendra Dabholkar murder

The Indian Express

CBI names Virendra Tawde as key conspirator in Narendra Dabholkar murder

On August 20, 2013, Dr Narendra Dabholkar was killed outside his Pune residence while he was out on a morning walk.

By: Express News Service | Mumbai | Published:September 7, 2016 2:33 pm

Naming Dr. Virendra Tawde, an alleged western commander of the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), an offshoot of the right-wing group, Sanatan Sanstha as the key conspirator in the murder of rationalist Dr. Narendra Dabholkar, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday filed its chargesheet in the case. The chargesheet was filed at a Special CBI Court in Pune.

According to sources, the central agency has also mentioned two alleged Sanatan Sanstha members including Sarang Akolkar as the alleged assassins in the case. The two assassins have been shown as wanted accused in the case.

Tawde was arrested in June this year by the agency after CBI sleuths stumbled upon coded emails exchanges between Tawde and a senior Sanatan Sanstha member where the plan to kill the rationalist was discussed.

On August 20, 2013, Dabholkar was killed outside his Pune residence while he was out on a morning walk.
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During the probe, the CBI has claimed that the Dabholkar murder was planned in 2007 but put on hold by the module to carry out the Goa blast in 2009 on the eve of Diwali. The plan to ‘eliminate’ Dabholkar gathered steam in June of 2013.

In its chargesheet, the CBI has also attached an analysis of the hard dics recovered from the Sanathan Sanstha office in Panvel. The analysis has revealed that the outfit after having three failed attempts of carrying out ‘successful blasts’ in Vashi, Thane and Goa , decided to change their strategy and make it ‘personality specific’, allegedly to eliminate ‘anti-Hindu activists’.

“The analysis of the hard disc reveals that they had a hit-list of anti-Hindu activists which the outfit planned to ‘eliminate’. These personalities were discussed through codes and were referred as ‘rakshahas’ (demons) by the members,” a senior official told The Indian Express.