Blurred CCTV footage fails to offer any leads

Police are still going through the CCTV footage that shows images of two motorbike riders, but unclear pictures cannot establish their identities

The CCTV footage, recovered by cops immediately after murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar on Tuesday, has not yielded any concrete clues on the identity of the unknown assailants who gunned down the activist on a city bridge during a morning walk. Police, who have recovered the video footage from CCTV systems operating at the establishments in the vicinity of the bridge, said it was "blurred and unclear" to offer any lead so far. "We are still examining the CCTV footage which has only shown images of two motorbike riders. But it is blurred and unclear to es- tablish identity", an official in-charge of the investigation said.

An eyewitness account of the incident had said that two youths aged between 25 and 30, had fled the crime scene riding a bike after fir- ing shots at the 69-year-old anti-superstition activist. Police is also verifying the number plate details as given by the eyewitness to trace the vehicle.

"The investigations are on and so far no individual or organisation has been identified for involvement in the murder," he added.

Eight squads have been formed by Pune police crime branch to track down the killers who continue to be at large after more than 48 hours.

Meanwhile, a Mumbai police team has arrived in the city to offer "technical assistance" to their Pune counterparts in the investigation, sources said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has announced an award of Rs 10 lakh to person giving information about the activist's broad daylight murder that has once again highlighted the growing crime rate and deterioration of law and order situation in the city, which has been a witness to terror attacks and violence against women in recent years.

Also, police have already circulated sketch of one of the two suspects based on the eyewitness account. The investigators are also exploring the possibility of Dabholkar being tailed by the assailants’ right from Mumbai from where he landed in the city on Tuesday morning, sources said. As part of a man hunt, police teams have also been sent to neighbouring district of Satara from where the activist hailed and also to adjacent Sangli. -PTI