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Dabholkar case: Court to frame charges against 5 Sanatan Sanstha activists

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Narendra-Dabholkar

A Pune special court on Tuesday ordered framing of charges against five members of the right-wing Sanatan Sanstha, and the main accused in the sensational killing of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar eight years ago.

Dabholkar, 67, who spearheaded the country’s anti-superstition movement under the banner of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), was shot dead on August 20, 2013, by two unknown motorcycle-borne attackers while he was on a morning walk near the Omkareshwar Temple.

Special Judge S.R. Navandar of the Special UAPA Court said that the charges shall be framed against four of the five accused for murder and terror under the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, besides the Arms Act.

Dr Virendrasingh Tawade, Sachin Andhure, Sharad Kalaskar, and Vikram Bhave will face charges for hatching conspiracy to murder, murder and under the provisions of the IPC and the UAPA.

The fifth accused, lawyer Sanjeev Punalekar will face charges of destroying of evidence, and the matter has been kept for further hearing on September 15, when the actual charges shall be framed, said Special Judge Navandar.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the case from the Pune police in 2014, has filed a charge sheet long back against the five accused.

After arresting ENT surgeon Tawade in June 2016, the CBI filed its charge sheet against him in September that year, contending he had masterminded the conspiracy to eliminate Dabholkar.

Two years later, in August 2018, the CBI nabbed two more Sanatan Sanstha activists Andhure and Kalaskar and the agency filed its supplementary charge sheet against them in February 2019, naming them as the duo who shot the rationalist.

In May 2019, the CBI arrested Mumbai lawyer Punalekar and his associate Bhave, both connected to the Sanatan Sanstha and filed its charge sheet against them in November 2019 in the same case.

While Punalekar was accused for having ordered the destruction of evidence like the firing weapons, the CBI said Bhave had conducted a recce of the murder spot where Dabholkar was killed, planned the escape route for the assailants and other aspects.

Tawade, Andhure and Kalaskar are in judicial custody in Pune, Kolhapur and Mumbai jails, respectively, while Punalekar and Bhave are on bail.

Crime

Mira-Bhayandar: Police Busts Illicit Liquor Brewing Den In Nallasopara

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Mira Bhayandar: Further tightening their screws against illicit liquor mafia ahead of the assembly elections scheduled to be held on 20, November, the Mira Road-based central crime branch unit attached to the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai (MBVV) police busted yet another massive illicit liquor brewing unit which was operating from a hillock in a dense jungle area in Nallasopara on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by assistant police inspector- Dattatray Sarak marched 2-kilometre-deep inside the jungle area located in the Dhaniv Baug area of Nallasopara (east) at around 8 am.

The team seized multiple barrels of hooch along with ingredients including 2,800 litres of fermented jaggery wash, 140 litres of liquor, chemicals and other manufacturing equipment collectively worth more than Rs. 1.42 lakh.

However, the den operator identified as- Prabhakar Bhoye and his employees managed to evade the police dragnet. The entire material and equipment were destroyed on the spot.

An offence under the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act-1949 for construction/works of any distillery or brewery and manufacturing intoxicants has been registered in this context at the Pelhar police station.

The consumption of illicit liquor which is unscientifically manufactured by using toxic chemicals like methanol and rectified spirit can cause deaths and other serious ailments including loss of eyesight. Further investigations were underway.

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Crime

Wildlife Smuggling Racket Busted: Rare Snakes, Reptiles, Caged Orangutan Rescued From Dombivli House

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Thane: In a significant operation exposing a wildlife smuggling racket, the Forest Officials rescued rare species of animals from a highrise in Dombivli. The officials raided an apartment in Palava City, Dombivli and found exotic animals including lizard, turtles, rare species snakes and other reptiles stored in the flat. Horrifying enough, the team found a monkey caged in the washroom of the apartment.

It was later confirmed that the rescued animals included Ignuana (lizard), an Orangutan and python. The operation was conducted by the Forest Range Officers from Thane and Kalyan along with a team from Manpada Police Station after a tip.

The officials did not find any accused present in the apartment at the time of the raid. A case under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 has been registered and a search for the accused is underway. Meanwhile, the seized species are handed over to a local NGO on a temporary basis for observation.

The video of the forest officials raid surfaced on the internet shows a boy opening the door of the well-kept apartment. After entering the flat, the officials gradually come across wildlife species stores in small cage, plastic boxes piled up in the passage and shocking enough an Orangutan in washroom at the end of the apartment.

As per the statement issued by the police, the teams raided the 8th floor apartment in B wing of Savarna Building in Palava City, Dombivli. In the action, the exotic animals seized as prima facie identified as python, ignuana (lizard), turtle, snake etc. The seized wildlife species, on temporary basis, are handed over to Birsa Munda- a local NGO. The pachanama, documentation and search for the accused is underway, it added.

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Crime

Mumbai: Unidentified Body Of Man Chopped Into 7 Pieces Stuffed In Plastic Boxes Found Near Gorai Beach; Probe On

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Mumbai: The dismembered body of a man, estimated to be between 25 and 40 years old, was discovered in several plastic boxes on the side road which goes to Gorai Beach in Mumbai on Sunday.

Upon receiving the information, police arrived at the scene and took the body into custody. It was later sent for a post-mortem examination. The body has not yet been identified, and a case has been registered.

According to police, on Sunday, a male body was found near Picxy Hotel, Babar Pada, Gorai, Borivali West. The body was cut into seven parts and packed in four plastic boxes. The deceased, believed to be between 25 and 40 years old, was wearing dark blue jeans and black shoes. His right hand bore tattoos.

A resident named Santosh Shinde, 55, from Mira Road, informed the Gorai police after learning about the incident. The Gorai police recovered the body from Shefali village in the Babarpada area.

A forensic team is currently investigating the case, and inquiries are ongoing in the vicinity of the incident location. Police have stated that the recovered body remains unidentified. The Gorai police have registered a case, and further investigation is underway.

A special team has been formed to investigate, and information is being gathered from CCTV footage and nearby police stations to assist in identifying the body.

A police officer said that the body was sent to Bhagwati Hospital for a post-mortem. “We can’t conclude anything immediately, as we are still investigating the matter,” the officer said.

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