THE DEFENCE lawyers for the five accused in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case Tuesday submitted a list of two witnesses whom they will examine as defence witnesses. The court has issued summons to these two witnesses.
The cross examination of the last and 20th prosecution witness in the case, retired Superintendent of Police of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), SR Singh, who was the investigating officer for the case for majority of the period, had concluded in the trial court of Additional Sessions Judge PP Jadhavon on September 5.
On September 13, Special Public Prosecutor Prakash Suryawanshi had submitted to the court the evidence closing pursis. The pursis marked the conclusion of prosecution evidence in trial.
The court had subsequently recorded the statements of the accused under section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. At the time, the court had asked the Defence if they wished to examine defence witnesses to which they had replied in affirmative.
One of the defence lawyers in the case, advocate Prakash Salsingikar said, “We have submitted a list of two witnesses to the court. The court has issued summons to these witnesses.”
Meanwhile, the defence counsels in the case had submitted an application to the court that Deputy Superintendent of Police of the CBI DS Chauhan be examined as the court witness.
Chauhan who was then posted with the CBI Special Crime Branch was the investigation officer of the case, immediately after the CBI took over the case. Chauhan probed the case from June 2014 to August 2015 after which SR Singh had taken over the charge. Singh remained the investigation of the case till his retirement in December 2022.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Special Prosecutor advocate Suryawanshi said, “Today we have submitted our reply to the Defence’s application that CBI Deputy Superintendent Chauhan be examined as court witness. We have said that when there is a provision in the law to examine defence witnesses, then they should examine him as defence witness. The court has heard both sides and is slated to order on this issue.”
The next hearing in the case is scheduled on January 5. Rationalist and activist Dr Dabholkar was shot dead by two bike borne assailants on the VR Shinde bridge in Pune on August 20, 2013.
The accused who are being tried for murder include include ENT surgeon Dr Virendrasinh Tawade who was chargesheeted in September 2016, the two alleged assailants Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar who were chargesheeted in February 2019, Mumbai-based lawyer Sanjeev Punalekar and his aide Vikram Bhave who were chargesheeted by in November 2019.
All the accused are allegedly linked to radical outfit Sanatan Sanstha.
A special court in Pune on September 15, 2021 framed the charges against five accused, marking the beginning of the trials. All the five accused had pleaded not guilty to charges against them. Dr Virendrasingh Tawade, Sachin Andure, Sharad Kalaskar and Vikram Bhave have been charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and under Section 16 of the UAPA pertaining to terrorist act and various provisions of the Arms Act for the use of firearm.
Advocate Sanjeev Punalekar has been charged for destruction of evidence in the case. While Tawade, Andure and Kalaskar are currently in prison, Bhave and Punalekar are out on bail.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd