The CBI has concluded that the vehicle used to kill rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and comrade Govind Pansare belonged to accused Virendra Tawade, who is currently in police custody. Though the vehicle is yet to be recovered, Tawade’s testimony about scrapping it in the past, could not be corroborated with evidence received by the CBI. The vehicle is a Bajaj Boxer, which was purchased by Tawade on May 19, 1998, from Kolhapur, sources in the CBI said. Earlier, it was reported that the vehicle used at the time of shooting was a Honda Splendor.
Tawade has, however, not disclosed details about the vehicle used in the killing. When asked about the Bajaj Boxer, he admitted to owing the vehicle but added that he got it scrapped long ago. However, CBI officials even traced the scrap dealer who denied having scrapped any such vehicle as claimed by Tawade, sources said. This aroused the CBI’s suspicion, which felt Tawade was hiding the whereabouts of the vehicle that was allegedly used in the killing.
“The vehicle used for the murder was not stolen. The executors owned it. The evidence indicate that Tawade’s vehicle, which is missing, must have been used for the killing. The officials are further investigating the vehicle,” a source said.
The motorcycle was used by the two assassins for reconnaissance of Dabhokar’s home and for killing him on August 20, 2013, in Pune. In December 2014, Tawade, used the same bike in Kolhapur to reconnaissance Pansare also, sources said.
The CBI last week, filed its first chargesheet against arrested accused Tawade, a member of Sanatan Sanstha. The investigating agency has also identified two other members of the Sanstha, Vinay Pawar and Sarang Akolkar, as the two who shot Dabholkar in broad daylight on August 20, 2013. Both the assailants were on the radar of various Indian agencies for the last seven years and an international red corner notice has been issued against one of them.
The CBI received the information regarding Tawade’s vehicle after the chargesheet was filed last week in the Dabholkar killing. The officials will file supplementary chargesheet in which the information will be included, sources said.
