Dabholkar killing: Family demands quick probe, early arrests

Family members and associates of slain anti-superstition crusader Narendra Dabholkar Wednesday met leaders of political parties to press their demand for a central law against superstition and expeditious probe into his killing.

Dabholkar's daughter Mukta, her husband Anish Patwardhan and members of Maharashtra Andhshraddha Nirmulan Samiti met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar as also leaders from Left parties and the Bharatiya Janata Party here.

"We want two things - first, expediting Narendra Dabholkar murder probe, and second, a national level law against black magic and superstition," Mukta told reporters here.

She said it has been almost a month and the killers are still at large.

"Maharashtra police are telling us that they are doing everything to nab the culprits but we have build on the pressure so that killers are arrested soon," she said.

Dabholkar, 69, was gunned down by unidentified killers in Pune Aug 20.

Prior to his killing, the medico-turned-rationalist Dabholkar was actively spearheading the anti-superstition movement in Maharashtra.

Since over a decade, he had been lobbying for the passage of a comprehensive bill against blind faith, black magic, witchcraft and superstitious practices, treading on many toes.

A day after his murder, the Maharashtra government brought an ordinance to enact the long-pending bill.