Kolhapur: The special investigation team (SIT) of Maharashtra police probing CPI leader Govind Pansare murder case, on Thursday told a court here that it has during a search at the ashram of Panvel-based Sanatan Sanstha found some drugs which could affect the nervous system.
It also said that Vinay Pawar, an absconding accused who the CBI has said was the shooter in Narendra Dabholkar murder case, was a suspect in this case too.
The SIT produced ENT doctor Virendra Tawde, earlier arrested by the CBI in the Dabholkar case, before Kolhapur magistrate V B Kalpagar who extended his custody till September 16.
The CBI had on Wednesday filed a chargesheet in a Pune court against Tawde, alleging that he was a main conspirator in the 2013 murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar.
It has already arrested Sameer Gaikwad, a Sanatan Sanstha ‘disciple’, in the case. Seeking Tawde’s further custody in Pansare case, the SIT said that Pawar is a third suspect.
Pansare, a rationalist, and his wife were shot while on morning walk in Kolhapur on February 16, 2015. Pansare died four days later while his wife survived.
“Pawar conducted a recce in Kolhapur, and he used to be with Tawde. A witness who was shown Pawar’s picture, confirmed that it was Pawar who used to conduct recce prior to Pansare’s murder,” said Special Public prosecutor Shivajirao Rane.
The prosecution told the court that during a raid at Panvel ashram of Sanatan Sanstha (of which Tawde was a member), police found some drugs which can affect the nervous system. The SIT wanted to probe why these drugs were stored there, he said.
The SIT also wanted to recover a four-wheeler used by Tawde, he said. Advocate Virendra Ichalkaranjikar, Tawde’s lawyer, questioned the genuineness of the witness who allegedly identified Pawar, and opposed extension of Tawde’s custody.
Ichalkaranjikar later said the recovery of medicinal drugs from Sanstha’s ashram was not surprising, because some doctors lived on the premises.
