Pune:
In a rare show of unity, political parties have called for a bandh in Pune to protest the murder of renowned anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar who was shot at point blank range in broad daylight in the city on Tuesday. The police is yet to make any arrests in the case.
Auto-rickshaws will stay off the roads from 10 am to 5 pm; shops and other business establishments will also remain closed. Schools and essential services, however, are exempt from the shutdown.
The 69-year-old was on his morning walk when he was shot near the Omkareshwar Bridge in the city by gunmen on a motorcycle. The police said four shots were fired at him at close range, two of which hit him in the back of his head.
The police have released the sketch of one of the suspects, believed to be around 25 years old. Cops are also scouring footage from closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the area where Mr Dabholkar was shot for clues.
The Maharashtra government has announced a Rs. 10 lakh reward for any information on the murder. Calling the incident as a "planned killing", the government, on Tuesday, also slammed the police for failing to protect the senior activist.
Mr Dabholkar's murder comes days after the Maharashtra government assured that it would introduce the anti-superstition Bill - opposed by many right-wing groups as "anti-Hindu." It was his campaign that led the state government to draft the Bill.
Mr Dabholkar had, for many years, pushed for an anti-superstition Bill in the state assembly. He had also authored several books and was the editor of "Sadhana" magazine, devoted to promoting progressive and critical thinking.