Bombay HC Grants Bail to Narendra Dabholkar Murder Convict Sachin Andure
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Sachin Andure, who was convicted in the 2013 murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, and suspended his life sentence pending appeal.
A division bench comprising Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ranjitsinha Bhonsale allowed Andure's interim application on the grounds of parity with co-convict Sharad Kalaskar, who was granted bail by the High Court on April 29.
Under the bail conditions set by the court, Andure was directed to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with sureties of the same amount. The judges also ordered him to report to the concerned police station in Pune once every month for a period of one year, and thereafter continue to do so until his appeal is officially disposed of.
Dabholkar was shot dead on August 20, 2013, while on a morning walk in Pune. In May 2014, the Bombay High Court transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation after noting that the probe by the Pune Crime Branch had hit a dead end. Following a petition filed by Dabholkar's family, the High Court began monitoring the investigation in August 2015 and concluded its monitoring in April 2024.
The trial in the case commenced before a special Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act court in 2021. In May 2024, special judge PP Jadhav convicted both Andure and Kalaskar, sentencing them to life imprisonment.
In the same verdict, the trial court acquitted three other accused, including alleged mastermind Virendrasin Tawade, lawyer Sanjiv Gajanan Punalekar, and activist Vikram Bhave, citing a lack of sufficient evidence.
