No basis to doubt Hindu extremists,Pune cops tell HC

A public interest litigation filed by former journalist Ketan Tirodkar had sought an NIA probe into the killing,alleging that Hindu right-wing activists were involved.

In his reply filed before a bench of Justice P V Hardas and P N Deshmukh,Assistant Commissioner of Police (crime-I),Pune,Rajendra Bhamare,said Dabholkar was not known to be facing any threat,and so there was no question of police preparing any threat perception report (prior to the murder) and monitoring his activities. The contention that it was the handiwork of right-wing extremists was based only on presumptions or petitioner’s own imagination,which is not supported by any factual evidence,Bhamare told the court.

The police handed over to the court two reports on investigation conducted so far in sealed covers. However,the judges did not open the covers Friday,saying they would peruse the reports at the next hearing,scheduled after two weeks.

ACP Bhamare also said the offence did not fall in the purview of the NIA Act.

“Our team is not under pressure from any political figure or any activist,” his reply stated.

NIA had also taken a similar stand earlier when it told the court it could not probe Dabholkar’s murder as the offence fell under the Indian Penal Code,and not under the NIA Act.

Meanwhile,the High Court allowed the withdrawal of a petition filed by Dabholkar seeking to quash a complaint of criminal defamation against him and subsequent summons issued by a Mumbai magistrate.

Advocate A J Almeida,appearing for Dabholkar,said since the petitioner had passed away,the case had closed.

Dabholkar,a doctor by profession who campaigned against superstition and witchcraft,was shot near his residence close to the Omkareshwar temple in Pune on August 20.