In Dabholkar murder case, CBI invokes stringent UAPA law

Pune, Nov 13: The Central Bureau of Investigation has invoked the stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act or UAPA against those accused of killing rationalist, Narendra Dabholkar in 2013.

The CBI invoked the UAPA in its report that was submitted to a Pune court. The sections to be invoked are 15, which defines a terrorist act and 16, which states that if the act results in death, the punishment is either death sentence of imprisonment for life.

The agency has so far arrested six persons. The CBI told the court that the arrested persons either have links with the Sanathan Sanstha or the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. Among those arrested includes, Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar, who according to the CBI had opened fire at Dabholkar on August 20 2013.

The CBI also claims that the killing of Dabholkar is also linked to the murder of Kannada scholar, M M Kalaburgi and leftist thinker, Govind Pansare.

The application filed by the CBI states, " since they defied their ideology, customs and beliefs, they were eliminated. This is nothing but a terrorist act. They had struck terror in the society and ransacked protests organised by the victims. The accused had a criminal intention, the CBI also noted.