Dabholkar murder: Pune Police detain Sanatan Sanstha member from Goa

More than a week after anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar was murdered, the Pune Police on Wednesday detained one person in Goa.

Sandeep Shinde, a ‘sadakh’ at the the right-wing organisation Sanatan Sanstha Ashram in Goa, was detained after a nine-member police team questioned the ashram members. Shinde has been taken to Pune.

Shinde, who reportedly moved to Goa from Pune, was earlier questioned in connection with the 2009 blast in Goa as well.

“Shinde lived at Sanstha’s Ramnathi Ashram in Ponda, Goa. He was among the 70 persons from our organisation who were earlier questioned by the police,” Sanatan Sanstha spokesperson Abhay Vartak told Sakal Times .

Sanatan Sanstha managing trustee and Ramnathi Ashram head, Virendra Marathe, however, maintained that the organistation has nothing to do with the case and it was mere political pressure.

The Pune Police came under severe criticism from both Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, and his deputy Ajit Pawar, for their inability to crack the case after over a week.

A Times of India report stated that Chavan had served Pune Police Commissioner Gulabrao Pol an ultimatum asking him to crack the case soon or face consequences.

The report further states that Chavan has asked ATS chief Rakesh Maria to take over the investigation after Pol’s team failed to make inroads in the case.

Dabholkar, who led a campaign against anti-superstition, was shot dead in Pune on 20 August, while on a morning walk near the Omkareshwar temple.