Ex-Shiv Sena councillor arrested in connection with seizure of crude bombs, Narendra Dabholkar's murder

Pangarkar, a former member of the Jalna Municipal Corporation, was detained by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the killing of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar.

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AURANGABAD: Former Shiv Sena councillor was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in connection with the seizure of crude bombs and weapons from different parts of the state between August 9 and 11. Shrikant Pangarkar, 40, was arrested under the Explosives Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Earlier, three persons -- Vaibhav Raut, Sharad Kalaskar and Sudhanwa Gondhalekar -- were arrested from Palghar and Pune districts on August 10 in connection with the seizure of bombs and weapons. Pangarkar, a former member of the Jalna Municipal Corporation, was detained by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the killing of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar. CBI sources had said Shrikant Pangarkar's name had cropped up during the interrogation of Sachin Prakasrao Andure, the alleged main shooter in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case. Sachin Prakasrao Andure, who was arrested by the CBI from Pune last evening, was produced before the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class A S Mujumdar at Shivajinagar yesterday and remanded to the agency's custody till August 26. The CBI told the court that Sachin Prakasrao Andure was one of the two assailants who had shot at Narendra Dabholkar at the Omkareshwar Bridge in Pune on August 20, 2013. Shrikant Pangarkar was detained after Sachin Prakasrao Andure told the CBI that he was with him when Narendra Dabholkar was killed, the sources said. The former corporator was allegedly riding pillion on the motorcycle driven by Sachin Prakasrao Andure, they added. Narendra Dabholkar, 67, was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants on August 20, 2013, when he was on a morning walk near his home in Pune. Sachin Prakasrao Andure was arrested on a tip-off from the Maharashtra ATS, which had arrested Raut, Kalaskar and Gondhalekar for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to carry out blasts in the state. One of the arrested accused gave the input about Andure's involvement in Narendra Dabholkar's murder, which the ATS shared with the CBI. Narendra Dabholkar's murder case was transferred to the CBI from the Pune Police in 2014. (with additional input from PTI)