Charges framed in Govind Pansare murder case eight years after crime

Nearly eight years after the murder of communist leader and rationalist Govind Pansare, a court in Maharashtra's Kolhapur city on Tuesday framed charges against ten accused in the case. A criminal trial starts once charges are framed in the case.

Judge S S Tambe framed charges against Sameer Gaikwad, Virendra Sinh Tawde, Amol Kale, Vasudev Suryawanshi, Bharat Kurane, Amit Degvekar, Sharad Kalaskar, Sachin Andure, Amit Baddi and Ganesh Miskin. The charges were framed under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 120-B (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Arms Act, said Shivajirao Rane, public prosecutor in the case.

Of the 12 accused in the case, Vinay Pawar and Sarang Akolkar are absconding, he said. Of the remaining ones, Gaikwad is out on bail. Tawde obtained bail in this case, but he is in jail in the rationalist Narendra Dabholkar murder case.

Govind Pansare and his wife Uma Pansare were shot in Kolhapur city on February 15, 2015, while on a morning walk. Govind Pansare succumbed to his injuries five days later. According to the investigation agencies, some of the accused in the case were also connected to the murders of Dabholkar, Kannada writer M M Kalburgi, and journalist Gauri Lankesh.