Narendra Dabholkar murder case: Convict Sharad Kalaskar gets bail from Bombay High Court!

Sharad Kalaskar, convicted in the murder case of Dr. Narendra Dabholkar, a social activist fighting against superstition and founder of Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, got bail from the Bombay High Court on Wednesday.

The Special Court of Pune had convicted Sharad Kalaskar in the year 2024 and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Kalaskar has challenged this decision in the High Court. A demand was made on behalf of Kalaskar to grant bail till the final decision on the appeal.

A bench of Justice Ajay Gadkari and Justice Ranjit Singh Bhosale, while delivering its verdict in the case on Wednesday, accepted the bail plea of ​​Kalaskar. The investigating agency had sought a stay on this decision, which was rejected by the court. The High Court approved Sharad’s bail on a bond of Rs 50 thousand.

On August 20, 2013, Dr. Narendra Dabholkar was shot dead at Maharishi Vitthal Ramji Bridge in Pune. Five people were made accused in this case. In 2024, the Pune sessions court had convicted Andure and Kalaskar and acquitted Dr Virendra Tawde, Vikram Bhave and lawyer Sanjeev Punalekar.

Mukta Dabholkar, daughter of Dr Narendra Dabholkar, has challenged the release of these three in the High Court. Apart from this, the Dabholkar family has also challenged the acquittal of Andure and Kalaskar under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in the High Court. Mukta believes that her father’s murder was planned and involved a larger conspiracy.

Mukta, in her appeal, has also alleged that the accused had conspired to eliminate Dr Narendra Dabholkar, who had expressed his strong views against Sanatan Sanstha, Hindu Jan Jagran Samiti and other similar organisations.

The Sessions Court failed to appreciate that all three accused convicted and acquitted in this case were members of or associated with the right-wing Sanatan Sanstha.

Kalaskar is also an accused in the Comrade Govind Pansare murder case. The case is still ongoing and in October 2025, the Kolhapur bench of the High Court had granted bail to Kalaskar along with Dr Virendra Singh Tawde and Amol Kale.