Kalburgi case: Police question Sanatan Sanstha activist arrested for Pansare's murder

Kolhapur: Looking for possible links, Karnataka Police, probing the murder case of Kannada scholar MM Kalburgi, on Tuesday questioned Sanatan Sanstha activist Samir Gaikwad arrested in connection with the murder of Communist leader and rationalist Govind Pansare in Kolhapur.

Superintendent of Police of Karnataka CID S Rajappa along with other officials grilled Gaikwad in connection with the Kalbugi murder murder case, an official of Special Investigation Team (SIT) said.

On Monday, another senior officer of Karnataka CID conducted some preliminary enquiries here regarding the possible links the hardline outfit with murder of Kalburgi, he said.

Gaikwad was arrested from Sangli on 16 September in connection with Pansare’s murder by the SIT of Maharashtra Police probing the case.

“Gaikwad could be handed over to Karnataka Police as per decision of the local court,” the official said, adding Gaikwad’s police custody ends on Wednesday.

“Police have also launched a manhunt for Pravin Limkar, a suspect in 2009 Madgoan blast case, along with Rudra Patil and Sarang Kulkarni (also suspected accused in Madgaon blast case),” a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

The official added that police are also probing the role of a woman who had attended a meeting in January in Sankeshwar, Karnataka, where the plan to murder Pansare was suspected to have been hatched.

82-year-old Pansare and his wife Uma were shot at by two motorcycle-borne youths on 16 February near their home in Kolhapur. Pansare died four days later at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai while his wife survived the attack, suffering injuries that crippled her.

Kalburgi, who often courted controversies with his outspoken stand on various issues including idol worship, was shot dead at point-blank range by two unidentified men at his residence in Dharwad on 30 August.

PTI