This story is from December 8, 2016

Pansare murder: Tawade asked me for revolvers in 2013, claims witness

Pansare murder: Tawade asked me for revolvers in 2013, claims witness
Communist leader Govind Pansare (File photo)
KOLHAPUR/MUMBAI: A witness in Communist leader Govind Pansare’s murder case informed police that arrested accused Virendra Tawade had paid him a surprise visit at his workshop in April 2013 on the pretext of checking on his health, but asked him for information on revolvers.
Witness Arun Sadwilkar’s statement is crucial in the case against Tawade.
Sadwilkar, claimed Tawade informed him of an additional responsibility entrusted on him by the Sanatan Sanstha of which he was a member.
Sadwilkar said Tawade later called him ‘from a payphone’ and said a man would meet him with the weapons. The reason why Tawade sought him out, said Sadwilkar, was because in 1985-88, he used to deal in country-made pistols as he had no other source of income then.
On November 30, a special investigation team had filed a supplementary chargesheet in Kolhapur and named Sanatan Sanstha members Vinay Pawar and Sarang Akolkar as the men who shot at Pansare and his wife Uma in 2015.
In 2013, Tawade had sent Akolkar with weapons to the witness, the chargesheet stated. They had demanded similar weapons from the witness. Tawade had also sent Akolkar and Pawar to Kolhapur to find out Pansare’s daily routine.
Earlier this year, the CBI, in its chargesheet, had identified Pawar and Akolkar as the duo who shot dead rationalist Nare-ndra Dabholkar in Pune in 2013.
The SIT, which filed its supplementary chargesheet in the Pansare murder case, had named Tawade as the second accused after Sameer Gaikwad. The chargesheet also named Pawar and Akolkar as the third and fourth accused. The 438-page chargesheet stated that Akolkar and Pawar, who are absconding since 2009 Madgaon blast, were seen riding a bike, obstructing the Pansare couple near their residence and shooting at them on February 16, 2015.
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