Cops close to cracking Dabholkar murder case

Officials from the Pune unit of the Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) and Crime Branch said that they had received significant leads in Dabholkar's murder after revisiting the Malegaon and Madgaon blasts cases, and were probing the suspects involved in it.

"We are on the right track and very close to solving the case," said a senior Crime Branch official on Thursday.u00a0Dr Dabholkar (67), the founder president of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti was shot dead by two unidentified persons on August 20 at the Maharshi Shinde Bridge near Omkareshwar temple in Shaniwar Peth.

The duo had shot four bullets at Dabholkar and disappeared. All possibilities and angles were considered by investigating agencies during the course of investigations. However, senior police officials, on condition of anonymity, have ruled out any personal enmity behind the murder.

ATS officials, who had actively conducted investigations in the Malegaon and Madgaon blasts cases, are also lending their intelligence and information in order to zero in and nab the assailants of Dr Dabholkar.u00a0"Many activists affiliated to right-wing extremist organisations have been quizzed repeatedly by our officers," the Crime Branch official said.u00a0

While speaking to mediapersons on Thursday, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajendra Bhamare said, "We have interrogated more than 627 citizens who were in the vicinity when the crime was committed. All our teams are working relentlessly, examining all clues and leads. This case is very rare in terms of the magnitude of the investigations and number of officials involved in the process."u00a0