<p>Mumbai: Ten years after rationalist and activist Govind Pansare was shot dead, the Bombay High Court granted bail to six accused in the case on Wednesday.</p><p>Popularly known as Comrade Pansare, the 82-year-old rationalist, trade unionist, social activist and leader of the Communist Party of India, along with his wife Uma were attacked by two motor-cycle borne youths on February 16, 2015, when they opened fire near the couple’s home in the Samrat Nagar area of Kolhapur. </p><p>Pansare died four days later on February 20, 2015, at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai.</p><p>“I am allowing the bail pleas of the six accused on account of long incarceration,” Justice Anil Kilor said in his order. </p>.R G Kar rape-murder case: Victim's parents withdraw plea for re-investigation filed in Supreme Court.<p>The six accused, who have been granted bail, are Sachin Andure, Ganesh Miskin, Amit Degvekar, Amit Baddi, Bharat Kurane and Vasudev Suryavanshi.</p><p>The bail plea of another accused, Virendrasinh Tawade, would be heard separately by the court. </p><p>Justice Kilor concluded hearing on the bail pleas on December 12, 2024 and reserved the verdict.</p><p>The detailed bail order is awaited. </p><p>The accused were booked for murder, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Arms Act. </p><p>Over the years, the Pansare family had contended that there was a larger conspiracy in the murders of Comrade Pansare and others activists like rationalist Narendra Dabholkar (June 20, 2013), noted scholar and writer Prof Malleshappa Madivalappa Kalburgi (August 30, 2015) and journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh (September 5, 2017). </p><p>After the shootout, the FIR was registered by the Rajarampuri police station in Kolhapur.</p><p>Subsequently, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed which functioned under an officer of the rank of Additional Director General of Police. </p><p>The case was later handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra police. </p><p>A total of 10 accused in the case have been arrested while two are wanted. </p><p>Last year, in a letter to the ATS, the Pansare family said: “…Comrade Pansare was bitterly opposed by Right-wing Hindutva organizations such as Sanatan Sanstha and Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, etc, for his ideologies of secularism, rationality, equality, and lifelong work of uplifting the marginalized and authoring best-selling books such as ‘Shivaji Kon Hota’?…”</p><p>The family had claimed that the ATS and other agencies like CBI, Maharashtra Police, Karnataka Police and Goa Police are aware of the role of Sanatan Sanstha and its ‘sadhaks’, in the four murders and also other heinous crimes. </p>
<p>Mumbai: Ten years after rationalist and activist Govind Pansare was shot dead, the Bombay High Court granted bail to six accused in the case on Wednesday.</p><p>Popularly known as Comrade Pansare, the 82-year-old rationalist, trade unionist, social activist and leader of the Communist Party of India, along with his wife Uma were attacked by two motor-cycle borne youths on February 16, 2015, when they opened fire near the couple’s home in the Samrat Nagar area of Kolhapur. </p><p>Pansare died four days later on February 20, 2015, at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai.</p><p>“I am allowing the bail pleas of the six accused on account of long incarceration,” Justice Anil Kilor said in his order. </p>.R G Kar rape-murder case: Victim's parents withdraw plea for re-investigation filed in Supreme Court.<p>The six accused, who have been granted bail, are Sachin Andure, Ganesh Miskin, Amit Degvekar, Amit Baddi, Bharat Kurane and Vasudev Suryavanshi.</p><p>The bail plea of another accused, Virendrasinh Tawade, would be heard separately by the court. </p><p>Justice Kilor concluded hearing on the bail pleas on December 12, 2024 and reserved the verdict.</p><p>The detailed bail order is awaited. </p><p>The accused were booked for murder, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Arms Act. </p><p>Over the years, the Pansare family had contended that there was a larger conspiracy in the murders of Comrade Pansare and others activists like rationalist Narendra Dabholkar (June 20, 2013), noted scholar and writer Prof Malleshappa Madivalappa Kalburgi (August 30, 2015) and journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh (September 5, 2017). </p><p>After the shootout, the FIR was registered by the Rajarampuri police station in Kolhapur.</p><p>Subsequently, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed which functioned under an officer of the rank of Additional Director General of Police. </p><p>The case was later handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Maharashtra police. </p><p>A total of 10 accused in the case have been arrested while two are wanted. </p><p>Last year, in a letter to the ATS, the Pansare family said: “…Comrade Pansare was bitterly opposed by Right-wing Hindutva organizations such as Sanatan Sanstha and Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, etc, for his ideologies of secularism, rationality, equality, and lifelong work of uplifting the marginalized and authoring best-selling books such as ‘Shivaji Kon Hota’?…”</p><p>The family had claimed that the ATS and other agencies like CBI, Maharashtra Police, Karnataka Police and Goa Police are aware of the role of Sanatan Sanstha and its ‘sadhaks’, in the four murders and also other heinous crimes. </p>