The Bombay High Court grants bail to Sachin Andure, convicted for the 2013 murder of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar, and suspends his life sentence pending his appeal. The court grants relief on parity with co-convict Sharad Kalaskar, who had previously received similar relief. The order requires Andure to furnish a personal bond and attend a police station monthly. The High Court decision follows its observations on aspects of the investigation and identification procedures used.
The outlets also describe the broader legal context of the case. Andure’s conviction and life sentence were handed down by a sessions court in 2024, while charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Arms Act were not sustained, and other accused were acquitted for lack of sufficient evidence. Dabholkar’s daughter Mukta Dabholkar is reported as challenging the acquittals and the exclusion of UAPA charges, alleging the killing is part of a wider conspiracy involving right-wing extremists.
Separately, reporting places the case within a sequence of attacks on rationalists and activists in Maharashtra and Karnataka, including later killings of Govind Pansare, MM Kalburgi and journalist Gauri Lankesh.
