Pune:

A court here on Tuesday issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange in connection with a 2013 cheating case after he failed to appear before it, his lawyer said.

Manoj Jarange has launched a fresh indefinite hunger strike over the quota demand since July 20 at his village in Jalna district.

He had appeared before the court on May 31 after an NBW was issued against him. The court then cancelled the NBW but imposed a penalty of Rs 500 on him.

“A hearing was scheduled today before the judicial magistrate here in the case, but as Jaranage is currently on hunger strike, he could not be present,” said advocate Harshad Nimbalkar, his lawyer.

“We will have him appear before the court and get the NBW cancelled,” Harshad Nimbalkar added.

A case under Indian Penal Code section 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) was registered against Manoj Jarange and two others in 2013.

Manoj Jarange and co-accused had in 2012 approached the complainant, who stages plays on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, for six shows of “Shambhuraje” in Jalna district and offered him Rs 30 lakh.

While Rs 16 lakh were paid, there was some dispute over the remaining money, leading to a complaint. The court then ordered the police to register a case.

“Jarange had secured anticipatory (pre-arrest) bail in the case in 2013. The police filed a chargesheet but no summons was issued to Jarange. The court took cognisance of the case in January 2024 and issued two summons to him,” Harshad Nimbalkar said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Pune:

The investigating agencies could not expose the masterminds behind the murder of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, and must introspect whether it was a mere failure or a “deliberate inaction” due to the influence of any “person in power,” the trial court here said on Friday in its judgement.

The two assailants, who were convicted, were not the masterminds, Additional Sessions Judge P P Jadhav observed in the verdict.

The special court for UAPA cases convicted assailants Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar in the 2013 murder case and sentenced them to life imprisonment, but acquitted alleged conspirators Dr Virendrasinh Tawde, Sanjeev Punalekar and Vikram Bhave for want of evidence.

In his order, judge Jadhav noted that there was evidence about motive for the murder against Tawde, and reasonable suspicion against Punalekar and Bhave regarding involvement in the crime. But the prosecution failed to establish the same by converting the motive and suspicion into evidence, the order said.

As to Andure and Kalaskar, it was proved beyond reasonable doubt that they shot Dabholkar dead in Pune city on August 20, 2013, the court said.

The prosecution also failed to prove the offences under section 16 (`punishment for terrorist act’) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC against any of the accused, it said.

Except ideological differences, Andure and Kalaskar had no personal enmity or rivalry with Dr Dabholkar, the court noted.

“The murder is committed with very well prepared plan, which was executed by Andure and Kalaskar. Considering the economic and social status of both the convicts, they are not the masterminds….The mastermind behind the murder is someone else. Pune police we well as CBI has failed to unearth those masterminds. They have to introspect whether it is their failure or deliberate inaction on their part due to influence by any person in power,” the order said.

Reacting to the judgement, Hamid and Mukta Dabholkar, children of the slain rationalist, said it came after 11 years.

The verdict affirmed their faith in the Indian judiciary, the Dabholkar family said in a statement issued by the Andhashraddha Nirman Samiti (Committee of Eradication of Superstition, an organisation founded by Narendra Dabholkar).

The Samiti will challenge the acquittal of Virendrasinh Tawde, Sanjeev Punalekar and Vikram Bhave in the High Court, the statement added.

Sanatan Sanstha, the Hindu right-wing outfit to which some of the accused were linked, said in its reaction that a conspiracy to portray it as a supporter of “saffron terror” had failed due to the acquittals, and convicts Andure and Kalaskar were not linked to the organisation.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)