Narendra Dabholkar case: Seized phones sent for forensic analysis

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday sent all the cellphones belonging to Dr Virendra Tawade for forensic analysis. Officials say they hope to confirm all the people with whom Tawade was in contact via the data in the phone.

Sources has said that three cellular phones were seized from Tawade. While most of the data on the devices had been erased, officials hope to get something through a forensic search.

“We have sent all the phones to the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL). We are hopeful about being able to retrieve some of the text messages from the phones,” said an officer.

He added that getting hold of the messages sent and received from the phone would help the investigators piece together who Tawade was in contact with.

CBI officials have alleged that Dr Tawade had been vocal about his opinion of Dr Dabholkar and clearly mentioned his dislike for the rationalist in a public function in Kolhapur in 2004. Dabholkar was shot dead in 2013, and following a Bombay high court order in May 2014, Tawade is the first person to be arrested in the said case.

Sanatan Sanstha was formed by Dr Jayant Athavale after the demolition of Babri Masjid in the 1990s to unite Hindus and protect their religion. The organisation, which projected itself as spiritual outfit initially, came into the limelight after its members were arrested for planting bombs at auditoriums in Thane and Vashi and a movie theatre in Panvel in 2008. In 2011, two of the accused were found guilty and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment while two were acquitted. Another two members were killed in 2009 at Madgaon, Goa in a bomb blast. In 2013, the organisation’s name was linked to murder of Dr Narendra Dabholkar in 2013 and later the killing of Govind Pansare in 2015. Its member Samir Gaikwad is under arrest for killing Pansare.