The Pune police is still in dark over tracing the killers of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar. With no major headway in the case, the number of teams investigating the murder has been increased and a few former police officers have also been roped in to offer their expertise.
ACP Rajendra Bhamre from unit-4 of the crime branch said, “There were 9 teams of officers working on the case which has been increased to 19. Thus a total of 200 officers are working independently probing various angles and following up leads.” The primary line of investigation adopted by the police is based on the theory that the murder might have taken place over opposition to his anti-superstition and anti-casteism campaign by orthodox and right-wing elements, police sources said.
While office bearers of the Hindu extremist organisations, including the Sanathan Sanstha and Hindu Janagruti Samiti, were questioned, their involvement was not suspected. The police also said that the possibility of personal enmity to be the cause of the murder seemed remote. “There is also a chance of self-motivated persons opposed to his ideas, but not affiliated to any right-wing organisations being involved in the crime,” an officer said.
In a related development, state police chief DGP Sanjeev Dayal on Saturday visited the city and a held a meeting at the Pune rural police headquarters at Pashan Road and took an update on the case.