The Maharashtra Special Investigation Team (SIT) has formally arrested Amit Degweker who was wanted in connection with the murder of rationalist Govind Pansare, from Parappana Agrahara Central Prisons on January 14, 2019.

Degweker has been lodged at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prisons after the Karnataka SIT arrested him earlier this year in connection with the senior journalist Gauri Lankesh’s murder. Maharashtra SIT obtained a body warrant of Degweker at a local city court in Kolhapur and took him to a sessions court in Kolhapur where his police custody was sought for seven days. The ourt granted police custody of the accused until January 23, 2019, SIT sources said.

According to Maharashtra SIT, Degweker is an accused in Narendra Dabholkar murder case in which he was recently granted bail by Pune Sessions court on grounds that CBI did not file charge sheet against him.

Degwekar has also been accused of destroying weapons used to kill Pansare. Pansare, a rationalist and Communist Party of India leader was shot dead in Kolhapur on February 20, 2015. His wife, too, was injured in the attack.