Murder weapons still not found: CBI

Pune: The Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) lawyer on Saturday told the Pune court that someone had helped confirm the identity of Dr Narendra Dabholkar to two shooters before the rationalist was killed. “It is also possible that one more person was also present to oversee things,” he said.

The lawyer, Vijaykumar Dhakane, made these statements while seeking an extension of CBI custody of Sharad Kalaskar, one of the accused who allegedly shot Dr Dabh-olkar on August 20, 2013, at Omkareshwar Bridge.

Mr Dhakane told judicial magistrate, first class, S.M.A. Sayyed that on the day of the murder, someone spoke to Dabholkar and both went in opposite directions. Later, that person identified Dabholkar to Sachin Andure and Kalaskar, who allegedly shot him dead. “There is a possibility that one more conspirator was present nearby. To identify those two people, we need an extension of CBI custody for Kalaskar,” Mr Dhakane said.

He also said, “On July 23 night, Kalaskar and fringe right-wing activist Vaibha-v Raut had dismantled four country-made pistols and threw the arms in the water in areas in Mumbai and Thane. It’s possible that those weapons were used to kill Dabholkar. We want to find them.”

“The agency has taken Kalaskar to such locations as Kalwa bridge at Thane creek and Bhayander brid-ge at Vasai creek, but the accused could not identify the exact spot from where he threw the firearms. Hence, the CBI seeks his custody,” reads the agency’s remand application.

Opposing the plea of the CBI, defence lawyer Dharmraj Chandel told the court that “The CBI has said in the chargeshe-et filed in 2016 that there was somebody whom Dr Dabholkar spoke to before he got killed. Till now the CBI could not find that person. Kalaskar had given up all the information during his 12-day custody.”

Mr Chandel also said that during the CBI custody, SIT members probing Govind Pansare’s murder assaulted Andure and Rajesh Bangera and hence Kalaskar should not be sent to CBI custody.

The special court extended Kalaskar’s CBI custody till September 17.