Still to achieve any breakthrough in their investigations into the shocking murder of senior CPI leader Govind Pansare, the Kolhapur police on Sunday announced a cash reward of Rs5 lakh for those giving providing information about the culprits behind the attack on Pansare and his wife Uma at Kolhapur on February 16.
On a day when the “Maharashtra bandh” called by the left parties in condemnation of Pansare’s murder evoked lukewarm response in most parts of the State, Kolhapur District Superintendent of Police (DSP) Manoj Kumar announced the cash reward for those giving actionable clues on the miscreants behind the attack on the senior CPI leader and said that identities of those providing information would be kept confidential.
The Kolhapur DSP called upon the people with information about the assailants behind Pansare’s murder could call up the Kolhapur police on mobile number 09764002274.
Initially, ten police teams were formed to look out for the culprits behind the attack on Pansares. In addition, teams of Maharashtra Anti—Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Mumbai police are also assisting the Kolhapur police in the investigations into the attack on Pansares to the crime branch of the Mumbai police.
The Kolhapur police had on Thursday circulated among various police stations the sketches of the culprits behind the attack on Pansares, which they had prepared based on the description given by Uma Pansare and a student from a school located near Pansare’s residence at Kolhapur.
In a related development, the Kolhapur police have beefed up security for the slain CPI leader’s widow Uma Pansare, who is undergoing treatment at Aster Aadhar Hospital at Kolhapur for the bullet injuries she suffered along with her late husband during the attack on them near their Kolhapur residence on February 16.
“The reason behind our intensifying the security for Uma Pansare is that she is both the victim and eyewitness to the incident. We do not want any harm to be caused to her by those behind the attack,” a senior police officer said.
Pansare (82) and his wife Uma (67) had been shot from a close range, near their residence ‘Ideal Housing Society’ at around 8.30 am on Monday last, when the couple was returning from a morning walk from the Shivaji University campus at Kolhapur. While Pansare sustained bullet wounds on the nape of his neck and another minor injury on his hand, wife Uma suffered a bullet injury on her neck.
The critically injured Pansare, who had undergone two surgeries while he was being treated at Kolhapur’s Aster Aadhar Hospital, was shifted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital on Friday afternoon after he suffered excessive bleedings in his lungs. However, he died of a heart failure at the Breach Candy Hospital the same night.
Meanwhile, the “Maharashtra bandh” called by left parties to condemn Pansare’s murder did not evoke much of a of response. Though there was no bandh, social organisations and activists held rallies at several places, including Nagpur, Pune and Osmanabad. The Congress, NCP and RPI (Athavale) had announced their support for the bandh.