Dabholkar murder: CBI arresting Tawade 'part of duty', says Swamy

With the Central Bureau of Investigation arresting Virendra Tawade, a Sanatan Sanstha activist in connection with the sensational murder of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar nearly three years ago, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Saturday termed the move as the CBI's duty and demanded a logical end to the case.

"I think CBI is doing its duty and they have come to a conclusion, they have a right and we certainly don't approve intolerant in this country..nobody can take law into their own hands. CBI must take it to a logical end on how this Dabolkar was killed and who did it and punish those. So, it is a part of this process. So, I am happy that CBI is doing its work," Swamy told ANI here.

In a major breakthrough, the CBI had yesterday arrested Tawade for his alleged role in the murder of noted Pune-based rationalist Dabholkar in 2013.

Tawade would be produced before the sessions court in Pune today.

Tawade's arrest was the first by the central agency since it took over the probe in May 2014 on the directions of the Bombay High Court based on a PIL alleging that pro-Hindutva activists were involved in the killing.

The arrest comes nine days after the CBI conducted searches at the residence of Tawade, who works as a medical officer for the Sanstha, and questioned him at the outfit's ashram in Panvel.

Dabholkar was shot dead reportedly by two unidentified people near Balgandharva auditorium in Pune when he was out for a morning walk on August 20, 2013. The assailants fled on a two-wheeler.

The high court had transferred the probe to the CBI on May 9, 2014, after a PIL filed by former journalist Ketan Tirodkar, saying there was no headway even several months after the killing of Dabholkar.