Breakthrough in rationalist Dabholkar’s murder: One assailant arrested in Pune

An Aurangabad resident, Sachin Prakashrao Andure, was arrested in Pune on Saturday evening by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for firing at Dr Narendra Achyut Dabholkar, on August 20, 2013. The rationalist was gunned down, while on his morning walk at Shanivar Peth, Pune.

Andure is one of the two shooters who fired at Dabholkar on that fateful morning. Under sustained interrogation, Sudhanwa Gondhalekar, an accused in AntiTerrorism Squad (ATS) custody revealed that Andure was directly involved in the firing at Dr Dabholkar on August 20, 2013. Gondhalekar told officials they had used a motorcycle in the murder. The ATS shared the details with the CBI, based on which a preliminary investigation was carried out.

Andure is a resident of Aurangabad. He was arrested from Pune and will be produced before the court in Pune on Sunday.

Gondhalekar is a resident of Karanjipeth at Satara. He was arrested by the ATS on August 10 for planning terror attacks in Maharashtra. He was a member of the outfit Shri Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, which has close links with the right wing group, Sanatan Sanstha. Gondhalekar was arrested along with the prime accused Vaibhav Raut and their accomplice Sharad Kasalkar. Gondhalekar had knowledge of explosives and had trained Raut and Kasalkar. In a series of raids, the ATS had seized 20 crude bombs, air pistols, eight country made revolvers and literature on how to make a bomb from Raut’s three-storey bungalow at Nalasopara.

Sachin Prakashrao Andure is one of the two shooters who fired at Dabholkar on that fateful morning.