The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to three individuals, including the main suspect Virendrasinh Tawade, who were arrested in relation to the 2015 murder of rationalist and author Govind Pansare. Alongside Tawade, Justice S G Dige of the HC’s Kolhapur bench also approved bail for two other defendants, Sharad Kalaskar and Amol Kale. While Tawade and Kale will be released from custody, Kalaskar will remain incarcerated as he is serving a sentence for his role in the 2013 murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, with his appeal against that conviction still pending before the court.
Justice Dige stated that he was granting bail to the three accused and would issue a comprehensive order later, saying, “The applications (filed by the accused for bail) are allowed. I will pass a detailed order later.” The court also declined to stay its decision despite a request from a lawyer representing Pansare’s family. Pansare was shot on February 16, 2015, in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, and died from his injuries on February 20. Earlier in January, six additional defendants were granted bail due to their prolonged detention and the likelihood of a delayed trial.
Pansare and his wife were attacked while returning home from their morning walk in the Samrat Nagar area of Kolhapur when two men on a motorcycle opened fire.