'Before a blast accused, he was a responsible son'

To the family of Sarang Akolkar, an accused in the 2009 Margao blast case, he is still that brilliant student who went missing in 2005 and nothing more

Pune: While the world knows Sarang Akolkar as the person against whom National Investigation Agency has a Red Corner Notice in the 2009 Margao blast case, his relatives can only think of a brilliant and responsible son whenever his name comes up.

Also read: CBI chases 2009 Margao blast accused to solve Narendra Dabholkar's murder

Sarang’s mother Kanchan Akolkar (right) had to take up tailoring to feed the family as Dilip, his father, suffered a paralytic attack. File pic

30-year-old Sarang, lived with his parents — Dilip (58) and Kanchan Akolkar (53) — in Pune’s Chintamani Apartments in Shaniwar Peth before he went missing in 2005. His relatives said he was an extraordinary student as he secured 81 per cent marks in his senior secondary board examinations and completed his graduation from Bharati Vidyapeeth of Engineering in July 2004. But few months later in 2005, he left home claiming he was going for a job interview in Bangalore and never came back.

Sarang was the only breadwinner of his family, as his father had lost his job and his mother was a homemaker. Though after he went missing his mother had to take up tailoring keep food on the table after his father suffered a paralytic attack. A relative of Sarang said, “Sarang was a brilliant boy and a responsible son. He used to do part time jobs as well as study. He had taken loans for his sister’s wedding and for the house but he made sure he paid them back before he left.”

He was later linked to the Margao blast case that occurred in 2009 and just yesterday Central Bureau of Investigation raided his house while suspecting that he is also involved in rationalist Narendra Dabholkar’s murder case. “His name was the first to crop up in Margao blast and ever since then his house has been on various investigating agencies’ target. His father had a paralysis attack and is bed ridden,” added the relative.

Sources from the NIA said he was one of the most active members of Hindu Jan Jagriti Sabha and had conducted several meetings in Pune. Also, certain CBI sources said Sarang was linked with Prashant Ashtekar, a prime accused in the Margao blast case. Ashtekar was in Pune few months before the blast and had allegedly assembled 12 electronic detonators then and five of these were sent to Goa, added NIA sources.

Although Sarang is not the only Sanatan member who is absconding. Jay Parkash alias Anna and Rudra Patil are also wanted by NIA in the blast that occurred on October 16, 2009 in Goa’s commercial capital Margao, which was the constituency of former Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat.

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