2 weeks ago
Bombay High Court Bails Dabholkar Murder Convict, Suspends Life Sentence
Narendra Dabholkar was an activist who worked against superstition in India.
He was shot and killed while walking in Pune in 2013.
A trial court later convicted Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar and sentenced them to life in prison.
Andure appealed that decision and asked to be released while the appeal continues.
The Bombay High Court granted him bail and paused his sentence.
The court said the evidence against him looked very weak at this stage.
It questioned why witnesses identified him many years after the shooting and noted problems involving the weapon and ballistic evidence.
MANS and Dabholkar’s family remain concerned that the full conspiracy has not been discovered.
The Bombay High Court granted Sachin Andure bail and suspended his life sentence while his appeal remains pending.
The court described the evidence as extremely weak, citing delayed eyewitness identification and unresolved weapon-recovery and ballistic issues.
Andure and Sharad Kalaskar were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a sessions court on May 10, 2024.
Andure and Kalaskar were acquitted under the UAPA and Arms Act, while three other accused were acquitted for insufficient evidence.
MANS and Dabholkar’s family expressed concern about the bail’s timing and said the alleged wider conspiracy remained unresolved.
- Who
- Sachin Andure, convicted in Narendra Dabholkar’s murder; the order was issued by a Bombay High Court bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ranjitsinha Bhonsale.
- What
- The court granted Andure bail and suspended his life sentence while his appeal is pending.
- Where
- The Bombay High Court issued the order; the murder occurred in Pune.
- When
- The order was issued on Tuesday; one report dates it to August 18, 2026. Dabholkar was killed on August 20, 2013, and Andure was convicted on May 10, 2024.
- Why
- The court cited extremely weak evidence, including delayed eyewitness identification, a weak alleged extra-judicial confession, and unresolved questions about weapon recovery and ballistic evidence.
MANS and Dabholkar’s Family
Andure’s Appeal and High Court Findings
Strength of evidence
MANS and Dabholkar’s Family
MANS said the trial court convicted Andure and Kalaskar on the evidence presented before it, while Dabholkar’s family opposed bail and pointed to the seriousness of the case.
Andure’s Appeal and High Court Findings
The High Court found the evidence against Andure extremely weak, citing late eyewitness identifications, a weak alleged extra-judicial confession, and problems involving weapon recovery and ballistic evidence.
Timing of bail
MANS and Dabholkar’s Family
MANS expressed deep concern that bail and suspension of the sentence came shortly before the anniversary of Dabholkar’s death, saying the decision caused pain among activists.
Andure’s Appeal and High Court Findings
The court granted temporary relief while Andure’s appeal is heard and clarified that its observations were only for deciding the bail application, not the final appeal.
Wider conspiracy
MANS and Dabholkar’s Family
MANS and Mukta Dabholkar said the alleged mastermind and broader conspiracy, which they linked to right-wing extremists, had not been fully exposed.
Andure’s Appeal and High Court Findings
The sessions court acquitted Virendra Singh Tawde, Sanjiv Punalekar and Vikram Bhave for insufficient evidence and acquitted Andure and Kalaskar of UAPA charges.
Key facts
- Bail recipient
- Sachin Andure
- Victim
- Narendra Dabholkar, founder of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti
- Court order
- The Bombay High Court suspended Andure’s life sentence and granted bail pending his appeal.
- Bail condition
- A personal bond of Rs 50,000, with one or two local sureties of the same amount.
- Trial conviction
- A sessions court convicted Andure and Sharad Kalaskar and sentenced them to life imprisonment on May 10, 2024.
- Evidence concerns
- Two witnesses identified Andure for the first time nearly eight years and seven months and nine years and three months after the shooting; neither identified his photograph.
- Investigation
- The Central Bureau of Investigation took over the case in 2014 after an order of the High Court.
Quotes
Mukta Dabholkar
Daughter of slain rationalist Narendra Dabholkar
“The bail has been given when the court is still hearing an appeal in the case. The final verdict is still pending and it may change.”
freepressjournal.in
“The murder was part of a larger conspiracy by right‑wing extremists.”
deccanchronicle.com
MANS representative
spokesperson for Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti
“Today’s decision causes pain, but it will not deter us.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
Dabholkar murder: HC grants bail to convict Sachin Andure, suspends his life sentence
Dabholkar murder: Convict gets bail, life term suspended
MANS Expresses Concern After Bombay HC Grants Bail To Sachin Andure In Dr Narendra Dabholkar Murder Case
HC grants bail to Dabholkar murder convict Andure, sets aside life sentence
Dabholkar Murder: HC Grants Bail To Convict Sachin Andure, Suspends Life Sentence
Narendra Dabholkar Murder Case: Bombay HC Grants Bail To Convict Sachin Andure, Suspends Life Sentence Citing Weak Evidence
Narendra Dabholkar murder: HC grants bail to convict, suspends life sentence
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