The Maharashtra Government on Wednesday announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information on the whereabouts of the two absconding Sanatan Sanstha activists Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar allegedly involved in the shocking murder of veteran CPI leader Govind Pansare.
Wednesday’s was the third occasion when a cash reward was announced by the State Government and the investigating agencies for information about the absconding accused, ever since Pansare was gunned down at Kolhapur more than two years ago.
less than a week after Pansare’s murder, the Kolhapur police had on February 22, 2015 announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh for information on the culprits behind the murder. later in March this year, the CBI announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh for information about the two key accused Akolkar and Pawar.
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 February 16 2015, when the couple was returning from a morning walk from the Shivaji University campus at Kolhapur. Four days later, Pansare succumbed to injuries sustained in the shoot-out, while his wife Uma survived the attack.
Announcing the reward, Vishwas Nangre-Patil, Inspector-General (IG) of Police, Kolhapur Range, said: “In an effort to speed up the probe, the SIT had requested the state government to announce a cash reward Rs 10 lakh for anyone giving specific information on Akolkar and Pawar. The government has accepted our proposal”.
Akolkar and Pawar face non-bailable warrants issued by the Kolhapur court.
The CBI had filed a charge-sheet against Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) activist Dr Virendrasinh Tawde and two Sanatan Sanstha activists Samir Gaikwad and Vinay Pawar, whom the investigating agency named as absconding co-accused in the case.