Bombay HC grants bail to Dabholkar murder convict Sachin Andure

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday suspended the life sentence of Sachin Andure, convicted in the 2013 murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, and granted him bail, calling the evidence against him extremely weak. A bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ranjitsinha Bhonsale noted that two eyewitnesses identified Andure in court for the first time nearly eight years after the shooting, terming this a long gap that made the identification a weak piece of evidence. The court also pointed to loose ends in the recovery of the murder weapon and the ballistic expert's opinion, saying the prosecution had offered no explanation.

Andure was sentenced to life imprisonment along with co-accused Sharad Kalaskar by a sessions court in May 2024. Both were acquitted of charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act. The high court observed there were fair chances of Andure's acquittal. It ordered his release on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and directed him to report to the Deccan police station every first Monday for a year. Telangana Today reported that Andure is also facing trial in the killing of activist Govind Pansare and has secured bail in that case as well. The Free Press Journal noted that co-accused Kalaskar had already been granted bail pending appeal, and the court said Andure's case was stronger on identification since the witnesses had not even identified his photograph.

Dabholkar's daughter Mukta has filed an appeal challenging the acquittals of other accused and the exclusion of UAPA charges. She has alleged the murder was part of a larger conspiracy by right-wing extremists. The high court's bail order is interim and will not affect the final appeal hearing.