Mumbai: No credible leads yet in Pansare attack case

Six days after the attack on communist leader Govind Pansare, who died on Friday night, the only credible information the police have is the assailants spoke Marathi.

Six days after the attack on communist leader Govind Pansare, who died on Friday night, the only credible information the police have is the assailants spoke Marathi.

Cops-inspect-the-spot-where-senior-CPI-leader-Govind-Pansare-and-his-wife-were-shot-at-by-unidentified-assailaints-in--Kolhapur-HT-photo-Uday-Deolekar

Pansare’s wife Uma told the investigating officers the attackers had asked her for an address in the area in Marathi, around 30 minutes before the incident. A 13-year-old boy, who was around when the incident took place, has given some description of the killers.

The police have prepared the sketches, but they are yet to be released as Uma Pansare, who is in shock, is still to confirm them. The police have also examined the CCTV footage from the area, but they all have poor visibility. Three abandoned motor bikes have been seized by the police.

DIG SK Bishnoi said apart from morning walk, there was no any similarity in the Dabholkar and Pansare killings. “The area of work of both Dabholkar and Pansare was different. We are looking at all possibilities,” Bishnoi said.

Pansare was a leader of several trade unions in Kolhapur and had raised his voice against the financial irregularities in some prominent cooperative institutions.

The police are also looking at an event on December 30, 2014, where Pansare had made some remarks against Nathuram Godse. In a discussion on a book -- Who Killed Karkare -- by retired IPS officer SM Mushriff, Pansare’s speech was stopped by a youth, taking objection to the references.

The police have reportedly taken the statement of the youth. Pansare had also received a threatening letter a fortnight ago, which the police are looking at.