Dabholkar murder: CBI seeks UAPA against five accused for striking 'terror among section of people'
Pune(PTI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has argued in a court that the five accused in the 2013 murder case of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar be tried under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for striking "terror among a section of people".
The arguments over framing of charges against the five accused - Dr Virendrasinh Tawde, Sharad Kalaskar, Sachin Andure, advocate Sanjeev Punalekar and Vikram Bhave - began before additional sessions judge (special court judge) S R Navandar here on Friday.
Special public prosecutor Prakash Suryawanshi, while arguing the case on behalf of the CBI, said that the accused have been charged under IPC sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 120 B read with 302 (murder), relevant sections of the Arms Act and section 16 (punishment for the terrorist act ) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
He pressed for section 16 of the UAPA and argued how invoking it was justified in the case.
"The definition of section 15 of the UAPA is to strike terror in the mind of the society or section of people in the society. So our argument in the present case is that firearms were used to murder Dr Dabholkar to strike terror among a section of people, here a group of people, that is members of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (founded by Dabholkar), so section 16 of UAPA is attracted in the case," he said.
He added that the CBI had received sanction from the state government to invoke section 16 of the UAPA.
Defense counsel Virendra Ichalkaranjikar, however, opposed the prosecution's demand to invoke section 16 of the UAPA.
"We oppose the pressing of section 16 of the UAPA as the prosecution has been stating since 2016 through their various documents that Dr Tawde used to despise Dabholkar and he had killed him as a fallout of that. So where does the question of terror arise?" he said.
He added that they sought exactly what charges the prosecution wants to frame against Tawde as in the initial probe of the CBI, they had claimed that Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar had shot Dabholkar dead and had termed Tawde as the conspirator, but later came up with another theory before the court that Andure and Kalaskar had shot Dabholkar dead, in which they again named Tawde as the conspirator.
"How can this be the same? There has to be only one theory," he said.
After hearing arguments from both the sides, the court posted the matter for hearing on September 7.
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Rahul Gandhi joins Haryana Congress leader's 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram
Gurugram (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday joined the 'Sadbhav Yatra' of Haryana Congress leader Brijendra Singh here.
Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, reached Gurugram in the evening and joined the yatra. He also walked some distance with Brijendra, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh and other leaders.
Huge crowds had turned up for the occasion.
Later, Gandhi proceeded to the venue where he addressed a public gathering.
Leader of Opposition in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other Congress leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, B K Hariprasad, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh, were also present.
Brijendra Singh had on Thursday said it is a matter of joy for them that Gandhi was joining the 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram-Badshahpur, "thereby strengthening the Indian National Congress' campaign for brotherhood and harmony".
The 'Sadbhav Yatra' began from Danoda village at Narwana in Jind on October 5, 2025, and has covered 85 of the 90 assembly segments in the state.
The foot march was started by Brijendra Singh, son of Congress veteran Birender Singh, to highlight several national and regional issues.
State Congress chief Rao Narender Singh had asked all party leaders to take part in Friday's event.
Days before his yatra began in October, Brijendra Singh, who narrowly lost the 2024 assembly polls from Jind's Uchana Kalan, accused the ruling BJP of playing "divisive politics" and said that "sadbhav" (harmony) has come under stress in the last decade.
Brijendra Singh was a sitting MP from Hisar for the BJP when he resigned ahead of the 2024 general election and switched over to the Congress. He also alleged that the saffron party creates a wedge in society to achieve its political purpose.
The 'padyatra' has so far covered 85 assembly constituencies in Haryana, traversing more than 2,700 kilometres.
Addressing the public gathering, Brijendra Singh said the yatra is inspired by Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he took the party's vision and values directly to the people of the country.
Singh said the yatra has highlighted issues like "Vote Chori" (vote theft), unemployment, poor law and order situation, agrarian distress, and issues related to government employees, labourers and traders.
"Sadbhav (harmony) and bhaichara (brotherhood), which the BJP is attempting to weaken, are the messages of this yatra," he said, adding that its slogan is "Congress ka haath bhaichara ka saath".
"This yatra is a natural extension of the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Brijendra Singh said.
