Narendra Dabholkar Murder | Bombay HC Grants Bail To Convict Sachin Andure, Suspends Life Sentence

Andure is the second convict who has secured bail in this case. Earlier, in April this year, co-convict Sharad Bhausaheb Kalaskar was also granted bail.

A Division Bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ranjitsinha Bhonsale passed the order while hearing Andure's appeal challenging his conviction by a Pune Sessions Court in May 2024. The High Court also suspended the life sentence awarded to him.

A detailed order was not immediately available.

Andure, who was convicted along with Sharad Kalaskar for Dabholkar's murder, had approached the High Court seeking suspension of his sentence and release on bail pending the appeal.

67-year-old Dabholkar was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants while he was out on his morning walk in Pune on August 20, 2013. He was the founder of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) and was known for his campaign against superstition and his advocacy of rationalism and scientific temper.

An FIR was initially registered at Deccan Police Station in Pune against two unidentified persons for offences under Sections 302 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Arms Act.

The investigation was initially conducted by the Pune Police. Later, Dabholkar’s daughter had moved the Bombay High Court for the transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The petition was allowed in 2014.

The CBI subsequently arrested Dr Virendrasinh Tawde in June 2016. Further investigation led to the arrest of Andure and Kalaskar, whom the agency alleged were the two shooters who carried out the attack on Dabholkar.

The CBI's case eventually resulted in charges being framed against five accused. The prosecution alleged a larger conspiracy behind the killing and also invoked provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Ultimately, in May 2024, Special Judge P.P. Jadhav of the Pune court, convicted Andure and Kalaskar for Dabholkar's murder under Sections 302 and 34 IPC and sentenced them to life imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 5 lakh each. The court, however, did not find the charges under the UAPA and Arms Act proved against them.

The trial court also acquitted three other accused, Virendrasinh Tawde, lawyer Sanjiv Punalekar and Vikram Bhave, as it did not find sufficient evidence against them.

The court had observed that although there were circumstances giving rise to suspicion against some of the accused, the prosecution had failed to establish the alleged larger conspiracy. It nevertheless held that the evidence against Andure and Kalaskar was sufficient to establish their role in the murder.

Andure subsequently challenged his conviction before the Bombay High Court and sought suspension of his sentence. He also sought bail during the pendency of his appeal.

Dabholkar's daughter has also challenged the acquittal of the three other accused and the trial court's findings concerning the UAPA charges before the High Court. Her appeal alleges that the murder was part of a larger conspiracy.

Andure is also an accused in the 2015 murder case of Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Govind Pansare

In January 2025, the Bombay High Court had granted bail to Andure and five other accused in the Pansare murder case, citing their prolonged incarceration and the lack of satisfactory progress in the trial.

With the High Court now suspending Andure's life sentence and granting him bail in the Dabholkar murder case as well, he is set to walk out of jail, subject to completion of the bail formalities.