Mitali Palnitkar
Published On : January 02, 2022 at 17:52 IST
On January 1, 2022, the Defence lawyers who were representing the five Accused in the 2013 Murder Case of Narendra Dabholkar had concluded the cross-examination of Dabholkar’s son Dr Hamid.
Dabholkar was an anti-superstition activist and rationalist who run the organization Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS). His son, Hamid is a psychiatrist based in Satara who had appeared as a witness before the Special Court on December 18, 2021. He was cross-examined by a team of defence lawyers Prakash Salsingikar, Virendra Ichalkaranjikar and Suvarna Avhad Vats.
Hamid was questioned by the defence lawyers on several issues related to the work of Dabholkar like exposing people in Maharashtra who claimed to have supernatural powers. He was also asked about MANS and the resistance faced by Dabholkar.
He was asked about the differences Dabholakar had with his colleagues, other organizations and activists. Hamid was questioned about the Writ Petition filed by Dabholkar in Bombay High Court in 2015. The defence also referred to a news article in 2010 which was related to a MANS activist having Naxal connections; Hamid was asked if it was alleged that the MANS had Naxal links. Hamid replied that he had no idea about it.
But the Court had observed the line of questioning and stated that the news article cited by the defence was about an individual activist having Naxal links and could not be associated with MANS as an organization. The Court noted that efforts were being made to defame the witness and MANS. Therefore, it stated, “In spite of requesting the learned counsel not to ask the question, it was asked. The Court requests the counsel not to ask such questions to the witness again.”
Hamid was also asked about the ‘Jawab Do’ rally taken out by MANS and the expressing dissatisfaction about the CBI probe. Hamid stated, “After the murder of Dr Dabholkar, back-to-back incidents of murders of rationalist thinkers took place and the killers were not getting caught. There was a threat to other thinkers and activists too. Because this king of threat was harmful to democracy, we made all possible attempts in Court and on street, under a constitutional framework, seeking justice.”
Hamid was questioned by the defence on the circulation of photos of Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar by MANS as they were the suspects in CBI probe in 2016 but later in 2018 CBI named Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar, members of Sanatan Sanstha as shooters.
Dabholkar was shot by two persons in Pune on August 20, 2013. The Trial is being conducted by Additional Sessions Judge S R Navandar.
