Key accused in Govind Pansare murder case dies in Maharashtra's Sangli

Sameer Gaikwad, 43, a member of Sanatan Sanstha, was arrested in 2015 in the case

Mumbai: Right-wing activist and Sanatan Sanstha member Sameer Gaikwad, who was one of the accused involved in the killing of veteran Communist leader, activist  and rationalist Govind Pansare, died in Sangli district on Tuesday. 

The Sanatan Sanstha described his death as a victim of the system and flawed investigation. 

"We are saddened that the ideological terrorism of the progressives pressured the government, and ultimately, a life was sacrificed today. After the death of Stan Swamy, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, the judges of the Bombay High Court bench expressed grief. The United Nations issued a press release expressing condolences. It is worth noting the question here: Will anyone stand up for Sameer Gaikwad?,” asked Chetan Rajhans, national spokesperson of Sanatan Sanstha. 

Popularly known as Comrade Pansare, the 82-year-old rationalist, trade unionist, social activist  and leader of the Communist Party of India and his wife, Uma, were attacked by two motorcycle-borne youths on February 16, 2015, when they opened fire near the couple’s home in the Samrat Nagar area of Kolhapur. 

Pansare died four days later on February 20, 2015, at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai.

Gaikwad, 43, was arrested in 2015 in the case and was listed as accused no. 1. 

Currently, he was  on bail and had filed a discharge application, which was pending. 

After Gaikwad faced discomfort at his residence on Tuesday morning, he was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead on admission. He died of a suspected heart attack. The body has been sent for post-mortem.

The investigation was initially conducted by the Rajarampuri Police Station, Kolhapur and thereafter transferred to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) but later transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Squad in 2022.

Rajhans further said that Gaikwad was falsely arrested in the case. “The murder was committed by two assailants on a motorcycle. The investigating agencies initially claimed that one of them was Sameer Gaikwad. A schoolboy was brought in as an eyewitness; however, within a year, the agencies declared that the two killers were completely different individuals. This essentially meant that Sameer Gaikwad was innocent. Yet, he had to suffer in prison. He was incarcerated for 19 months,” he said, adding: “when Sameer Gaikwad was arrested, the police found during the investigation that on the day of Pansare's murder, Sameer was in Palghar. However, due to pressure, they did not present this fact before the court. While defending himself, Sameer Gaikwad could have brought this before the court, but perhaps that opportunity is now lost.”