Today, two individuals received life sentences for their involvement in the 2013 murder of activist Narendra Dabholkar.

Narendra Dabholkar, the leader of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, was fatally shot in Pune on August 20, 2013. The perpetrators, allegedly belonging to a fringe group, carried out the attack.

Following Dabholkar's murder in Pune, a series of similar attacks occurred. Govind Pansare was shot in February 2015, and MM Kalburgi faced a similar fate in Kolhapur in August of the same year. Gauri Lankesh met a tragic end when she was shot outside her home in Bengaluru in September 2017.

In 2014, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) assumed control of the case from the Pune City police and subsequently filed charges against five individuals. Among them, Dr. Virendrasingh Tawade, Sachin Andure, Sharad Kalaskar, and Vikram Bhave were charged with offenses under Sections 302, read with Section 120B, for criminal conspiracy and carrying out the murder.

Furthermore, in addition to the aforementioned charges, the accused individuals were also charged with offenses under Section 16 (terrorist act) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Arms Act. Additionally, Sanjeev Punalekar, a Mumbai-based lawyer, faced charges under Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code for causing the disappearance of evidence.

Tawade, Andure, and Kalaskar are currently in judicial custody, while Bhave and Punalekar have been granted bail. The Pune sessions court framed charges against all five accused on September 15, 2021.

The court noted that a conspiracy was devised to eliminate Dr. Dabholkar with the intention of creating fear in the minds of the general public, thereby dissuading anyone from engaging in the activities of the 'Andhashradha Nirmulan Samiti'.

In 2015, Dabholkar's daughter and son petitioned the High Court, requesting the appointment of an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) and for the court to oversee the investigation process.

Starting from August 2015, the High Court commenced monitoring the investigation. However, in December 2022, Tawade filed an interim application in the present case, seeking to discontinue the monitoring. He argued that since the trial in the murder case had begun, the High Court could now cease its oversight of the case.

Following Tawade's application, another accused also petitioned the Court to discontinue monitoring. During a hearing, the High Court conveyed its inability to indefinitely monitor the case. Additionally, the investigating agency informed the Court that the trial could be completed within two months if expedited. Given these factors, the High Court decided to discontinue its ongoing monitoring of the investigation.