CBI fishes out pistol which could have killed social activist Dabholkar

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with the help of Norwegian deep-sea divers has fished out a pistol from the Arabian Sea, which may have been used in the murder of social activist Narendra Dabholkar, who was murdered in Pune in August 2013.

“A weapon has been recovered during the search operation, but whether it is related to the crime or not will only be confirmed after the ballistic report from the forensic laboratory,” PTI quoted a CBI official as saying on Thursday (March 5).

He, however, refused to divulge any further details about the recovered weapon.

The agency, in August 2019 had told a Pune court that it needed to search for the murder weapon at the Kharegaon Creek near Thane. The recovered pistol has been sent for forensic examination.

The CBI had roped in Dubai-based Envitech Marine Consultants, which transported its machinery from Norway, to find the weapon. The cost if the exploration is estimated to be ₹7.5 crore, the report said.

The report said the cost is likely to be borne by the CBI and the Anti-Terror Squads of Karnataka and Maharashtra investigating the deaths of Dabholkar in Pune, and Gauri Lankesh and MM Kalburgi in Karnataka – as all the three murders are linked.

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The CBI, which took over the investigation in 2014, has named seven people including Virendra Tade, an ENT surgeon, advocate Sanjeev Punalekar, Vikram Bhave, Sharad Kalaskar and Sachin Andure, as the prime accused in the murder.

Punalekar, who was arrested and is currently on bail, is alleged to have advised Kalaskar to destroy the firearms used in the crime.

Punalekar, before his arrest, had represented members of the Sanatan Sanstha and other activists in various cases in courts. The CBI earlier claimed that during the investigation, it came to light that in June 2018, Kalaskar visited Punalekar’s chamber in Mumbai where he explained his role in the killing of Dabholkar.

“Punalekar then told Kalaskar to destroy the firearms used in the killings, including of journalist Gauri Lankesh (in Bengaluru),” the CBI had claimed before the Pune court.

The agency also told the court that on July 23, 2018, Kalaskar dismantled four country-made pistols (by taking out barrels and sliders) and threw them from a bridge in Thane creek while on way to Nallasopara (in adjoining Palghar district) from Pune.

Dabolkar was shot dead from a close range by two bike-borne assailants on August 20, 2013 during his morning walk, in Pune.

Related news: Gang ‘involved in Gauri Lankesh murder’ charged in MM Kalburgi killing 

(With inputs from agencies)