Rationalist Govind Pansare's Killing: HC Grants Bail To Six Accused

Author Govind Pansare was shot in Maharashtra's Kolhapur city on February 16, 2015, and he succumbed to his injuries on February 20.

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to six accused in the case of the killing of rationalist and author Govind Pansare in 2015, on the ground of long incarceration.

A single bench of Justice A S Kilor allowed the bail pleas of the six accused - Sachin Andure, Ganesh Miskin, Amit Degvekar, Amit Baddi, Bharat Kurane and Vasudev Suryavanshi.

They were arrested on different dates between 2018 and 2019, and have been in jail since then. "I am allowing the bail pleas of the six accused on account of long incarceration," Justice Kilor said.

He also said he would hear separately the bail plea filed by another accused - Virendrasinh Tawade. Pansare (82) was shot in Maharashtra's Kolhapur city on February 16, 2015, and he succumbed to his injuries on February 20.

The rationalist and his wife Uma were returning home from their morning walk in the Samrat Nagar area of Kolhapur when two motorbike-borne men fired multiple rounds at them before fleeing. Initially, the case was handled by Rajarampuri police station in Kolhapur.

The investigation was later transferred to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the additional director general of police (CID), Maharashtra.

Dissatisfied with the lack of progress in tracing the shooters, Pansare's family had sought the case's transfer to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

On August 3, 2022, the HC transferred the probe to the ATS, observing there was "no headway" or "breakthrough" in the case. Of the 12 accused identified, 10 have been arrested, and four supplementary chargesheets filed. The trial against these 10 accused is on.

Two shooters in the case are still absconding. The HC had been supervising the probe into the case, but earlier this month, the court said it would not continue to do so.

The high court had, however, ordered for the trial in the case to be expedited and for the same to be heard on a day-to-day basis.