The Bombay High Court on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, granted bail to Sachin Andure, who was convicted in the 2013 murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, and suspended the life sentence imposed on him by the trial court.
A division bench of Justice Sarang Kotwal and Justice Ranjitsinha Bhonsale passed the order while hearing Andure’s appeal against his conviction. The detailed order was not available at the time of reporting. The development has been independently verified through reports published on August 18, 2026.
Background of the Case
Dabholkar, founder of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants while he was out on a morning walk in Pune on August 20, 2013.
The investigation was initially conducted by Pune Police before being transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2014 following directions of the High Court.
In May 2024, the special court convicted Andure and Sharad Kalaskar for the murder and sentenced both to life imprisonment. However, the court did not convict them under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) or the Arms Act. Three other accused were acquitted for want of sufficient evidence.
Andure challenged his conviction and sought bail while his appeal remained pending. Among the grounds raised was the absence of a formal Test Identification Parade (TIP), a procedure used by investigators to establish whether a witness can identify a suspect.
His counsel also pointed to differences in witness accounts and argued that his appeal was unlikely to be heard in the immediate future.
The defence further relied on his prolonged incarceration.
Court's Decision
After hearing the parties, the Bombay High Court allowed Andure’s interim application and suspended his life sentence.
The Court accordingly granted him bail while his appeal against the conviction remains pending.
