File photo of Narendra Dabholkar who was shot dead on August 20, 2013.
New Delhi: The CBI has announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information on Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar, the absconding accused in the Narendra Dabholkar murder case.
The reward has been announced by the probe agency as the duo could not be tracked, PTI quoted CBI sources as saying on Wednesday.
They said Akolkar (35) is allegedly a key conspirator in the murder of Dabholkar in Pune on August 20, 2013, while Pawar is alleged to be the shooter.
PTI said Akolkar is believed to be linked to Sanatan Sanstha, a Hindu right-wing organisation whose headquarters are located at Ponda in Goa. He has been on the run ever since his name cropped up during investigations of the National Investigation Agency in the Goa blast case.
The NIA had secured an Interpol Red Corner Notice against him in 2012 but the security agencies are yet to track him down.
In its chargesheet filed on September 7 last year, the CBI had claimed to have pieced together links of a doctor Virendrasing Tawde with the Sanstha, Pawar and Akolkar.
The crucial piece of evidence that the CBI claims to have are emails of Tawde, besides testimony of some key persons whose help was sought in the murder, they said.
The Bombay High Court had transferred the probe to the CBI on May 9, 2014 on the plea of former journalist Ketan Tirodkar, who had claimed that there was no headway in the probe by the local police.
(With PTI inputs)