CID to grill Dabholkar murder suspect in Kalburgi case

Home Minister G Parameshwara held a meeting with writers and progressive thinkers in connection with the probe into the killing of writer M M Kalburgi. Parameshwara said the CID team will travel to Maharashtra to interrogate Virendra Tawade, arrested by CBI in the murder of social activist Narendra Dabholkar. Parameshwara said progressive thinkers have shown concern about the safety of people with progressive ideology in the state. 

“It (killing of Prof Kalburgi) was not an ordinary murder but a calculated and planned execution. I have briefed the delegation about the progress of investigation so far. The writers and thinkers have raised concern since no arrest has happened in the murder case. In fact, we have engaged the highest number of police officials to probe this case. Around 27,000 students had come to Hubballi and Dharwad to write various exams on August 30, 2015, the day Prof Kalburgi was shot dead. The CID has verified the antecedents of all these students and also checked the phone numbers active during that time. I am confident the CID will be able to crack the case soon. A team will leave for Maharashtra to interrogate one of the suspected arrested by the CBI in the killing of Dabholkar,” Parameshwara said.

The Home Minister said that the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Bengaluru had found that one of the two firearms used in the killing of communist leader Govind Pansare in Kolhapur in Maharashtra, was also used in the killing of Prof Kalburgi. “The CID and the CBI officials are in constant touch and are sharing information. The FSL report has been sent to CBI, which wanted a second opinion. The CBI has stated that the ballistics reports, pertaining to the firearms used, have been sent to Scotland Yard,'' he said. Dabholkar was shot dead on August 20, 2013 in Pune and Pansare on February 16 in Kolhapur and he succumbed to injuries on February 20, 2015. Prof Chandrashekhar Patil, Dr K Marulasiddappa, Prof Baragur Ramachandrappa, Dr Manu Baligar and Prof Kalburgi's son Vijay Kalburgi attended the meeting.