Dabholkar killing: HC grants bail to accused Vikram Bhave

The Bombay High Court on Thursday granted bail to Vikram Bhave, an accused in the case of killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar in 2013.

Bhave was accused of helping two other accused - Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar - who allegedly shot Dabholkar on August 20, 2013 in Pune, with a recce of the spot and escape route after the crime.

A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale granted bail to Bhave on a surety of Rs one lakh to Bhave and directed him to appear before the police station concerned in Pune everyday for a period of one month, and then every second day for two months.

The court also directed Bhave to attend the trial in the case and not tamper with any evidence or witnesses. It also directed him not to indulge in any illegal activities.

Advocate Sandesh Patil, appearing for the CBI, the prosecuting agency, sought a stay of the order.

However, the high court refused.

Bhave was arrested along with advocate Sanjeev Punalekar on May 25, 2019 by the CBI, on the basis of a statement given by Kalaskar.

Punalekar was granted bail by the sessions court in Pune in June 2019.

Bhave approached the HC earlier this year, after a sessions court in Pune rejected his bail plea.

It is the CBI's case that Punalekar had instructed Kalaskar to destroy the firearms used in the killing of Dabholkar.

According to the probe agency, Bhave (who used to work as Punalekar's assistant) had accompanied Kalaskar and Andure for a recce of the crime scene and showed them the escape route.