Dabholkar shooter held by ATS

Five years after the gruesome murder of Pune- based Narendra Dabholkar, the Maharashtra AntiTerrorism Squad ( ATS) on Saturday said that it has arrested Sachin Andhure, the man who shot at and killed the 67year- old rationalist while he was out on a walk.

Andhure, who is married and a father of two, has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI) as it is formally investigating the Dabholkar murder case, officials said.

Sources said that Andhure was picked up for questioning on August 14 by the ATS after Sudhanwa

Gondhalekar ( 39) revealed his identity during interrogation, as well as the twowheeler that was used in committing the crime and fleeing from the spot.

Investigations have revealed that Gondhalekar, a native of Satara who had been staying in Pune’s Mitra Mandal Chowk for the past few years, and Andhure were the ones who went to kill Dabholkar in the morning of April 20, 2013. Andhure pulled the trigger.

Gondhalekar is part of a terror ring associated with right- wing outfits that was busted by the ATS on August 11.

After Gondhalekar led the ATS to Andhure, he was summoned for questioning. When confronted during face- to- face interrogation with Gondhalekar, he gave specific details of the murder. Investigators said that their probe is still on to ascertain possible roles of Vaibhav Raut, a gau rakshak ( cow protector) who is also allegedly a seeker ( sadhak) of Hindu outfit Sanatan Sanstha. Raut was the first person to be arrested in the alleged terror case by the ATS in early hours of August 11. The ATS had found 20 crude bombs and a cache of firearms from his Nalasopara residence.

It is suspected that Raut supplied the firearms and the two- wheeler that were used in the Dabholkar murder case by the accused.

The ATS is meanwhile tight- lipped on the roles of the other accused in the murders. They have secured the custody of Raut, Gondhalekar and Sharad Kashalkar ( 25) till August 28 for further investigation.