Kamal Ghorui
Mumbai: The Bombay HC on Wednesday granted bail to Sharad Kalaskar (33), who was convicted in May 2024 of the 2013 murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar.Kalaskar had filed an appeal before the high court against his conviction by the trial court in Pune and sought bail till its disposal. Justices A S Gadkari and R R Bhonsale said not only is the likelihood remote for the appeal to be taken up for final hearing any time soon, but the evidence on record is doubtful. Kalaskar’s identification was improper and had lost its sanctity, and two eyewitnesses’ testimony created a doubt, HC said while setting the bail at Rs 50,000.Dabholkar’s son, Hamid, said an appeal against the grant of bail would be filed in the Supreme Court. “Kalaskar is also an accused in the (communist politician) Govind Pansare murder case,” he said. The murderous assault happened on Aug 20, 2013, when Dabholkar, a crusader against superstition, was on his morning walk. HC had reserved the bail plea for orders on Dec 23, 2025.Kalaskar’s senior counsel Niteen Pradhan had assailed the validity of evidence, including the alleged assailant’s very identity based on a photograph shown to witnesses, on the basis of which the alleged assailant was nailed by the trial court. The state, represented by additional public prosecutor Ashish Satpute, and CBI, represented by special public prosecutor Amit Munde, opposed the bail plea, saying two witnesses had seen the shooting.
