PUNE: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has argued in a court that the five accused in the 2013 murder case of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar be tried under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for striking “terror among a section of people”.
The arguments over framing of charges against the five accused – Dr Virendrasinh Tawde, Sharad Kalaskar, Sachin Andure, advocate Sanjeev Punalekar and Vikram Bhave – began before additional sessions judge (special court judge) SR Navandar here on Friday.
Special public prosecutor Prakash Suryawanshi, while arguing the case on behalf of the CBI, said that the accused had been charged under IPC sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 120 B read with 302 (murder), relevant sections of the Arms Act and section 16 (punishment for the terrorist act) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
He pressed for Section 16 of the UAPA and argued how invoking it was justified in the case.
“The definition of section 15 of the UAPA is to strike terror in the mind of society or a section of people in society. So our argument in the present case is that firearms were used to murder Dr Dabholkar to strike terror among a section of people, here a group of people, that is members of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (founded by Dabholkar), so section 16 of UAPA is attracted in the case,” he said.
He added that the CBI had received sanction from the state government to invoke section 16 of the UAPA.
Defence counsel Virendra Ichalkaranjikar, however, opposed the prosecution’s demand to invoke section 16 of the UAPA.
After hearing arguments from both the sides, the court posted the matter for September 7.
Dabholkar, a well-known anti-superstition crusader, was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013.