Mumbai: In a decision that has raised concerns over justice for victims of right-wing violence, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to six Hindutva extremists accused in the brutal 2015 murder of Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Govind Pansare.
As per reports by Bar and Bench, the accused – Sachin Andure, Ganesh Miskin, Amit Degvekar, Amit Baddi, Bharat Kurane, and Vasudev Suryavanshi – are set to walk free after spending five to six years in custody. The court cited delays in the trial, the presence of over 250 witnesses, and prolonged incarceration as reasons for granting bail.
Justice Anil Kilor, who pronounced the order, noted that despite arrests being made in 2018 and 2019, the trial had seen minimal progress. Of the 231 witnesses listed, only 25 to 30 have been examined, leading the court to conclude that the trial “would not be concluded in the near future.”
The decision was met with strong opposition from Megha Pansare, daughter of the slain leader. She challenged the bail plea, highlighting the slow pace of investigations and expressing fears that the accused could influence the case. However, the court rejected her objections and granted bail. Each accused must furnish a personal recognizance bond of ₹25,000 with a solvent surety of the same amount. They are also required to appear at Rajarampuri Police Station in Kolhapur on the 1st and 16th of each month, except on days when they are attending trial hearings.
Govind Pansare was shot near his residence in Kolhapur on February 20, 2015, by Hindu extremist elements. He succumbed to his injuries five days later. His daughter, Smita Pansare, had approached the High Court, asserting that his assassination was part of a larger conspiracy targeting rationalists and activists who opposed Hindutva ideology.
She also argued that Pansare’s killing was linked to the murders of other prominent rationalists, including Narendra Dabholkar (2013), M.M. Kalburgi (2015), and Gauri Lankesh (2017), all of whom were vocal critics of right-wing extremism.
Two of the accused, Sharad Kalaskar and Sachin Andure, have also been implicated in Dabholkar’s assassination, further strengthening suspicions of an orchestrated campaign against dissenting voices.
Initially, a special investigation team (SIT) of the State Police’s Crime Investigation Department handled the case, but the Bombay High Court later transferred it to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in August 2022 due to concerns over the pace of investigations.
Despite overwhelming evidence pointing towards an organised extremist network behind these assassinations, legal proceedings have been slow, and the bail granted to the accused has fuelled concerns over the justice system’s ability to hold right-wing perpetrators accountable.
In a related development, the High Court last year dismissed a petition by the Maharashtra government seeking to cancel the bail of another accused, Samir Gaikwad. This pattern of legal relief for those accused of right-wing violence has sparked outrage among activists and civil rights groups, who view it as a failure of the judicial system to ensure justice for victims of hate crimes.
