Shrikant Pangarkar, a former Shiv Sainik and one of many accused within the 2017 assassination of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh has formally rejoined the Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Pangarkar was welcomed again into the celebration on Friday in Jalna by senior celebration chief and former state minister, Arjun Khotkar.
In line with Khotkar, Pangarkar is an ex-Shiv Sena member returning to the celebration fold. He has been appointed as the top of the meeting ballot marketing campaign for the Jalna constituency.
Khotkar himself expressed a need to run for the meeting seat in Jalna, though seat-sharing preparations inside the ruling alliance, the Mahayuti (which incorporates Shiv Sena, BJP, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction), are nonetheless being negotiated.
Pangarkar’s Alleged Position in Gauri Lankesh’s Homicide
Gauri Lankesh, a distinguished journalist and vocal critic of right-wing extremism, was shot lifeless exterior her residence in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017. The Particular Investigation Staff (SIT) probing the homicide recognized Shrikant Pangarkar as a detailed affiliate of the prime suspect, Amol Kale.
As per the investigation, Kale obtained orders from males primarily based in Maharashtra to hold out the assassination. Pangarkar was discovered to have been involved with Kale each earlier than and after the homicide, establishing a potential hyperlink to the crime. He was arrested in August 2018 in reference to the case.
Authorized Battles and Bail Grant
Pangarkar, who had served as a municipal councillor in Jalna underneath the undivided Shiv Sena between 2001 and 2006, had left the celebration in 2011 after being denied an election ticket. He subsequently joined the right-wing group, Hindu Janjagruti Samiti.
In September 2023, Pangarkar was granted bail by the Karnataka Excessive Court docket after being in custody for a number of years on account of his alleged involvement within the Lankesh homicide case. His launch got here only a day earlier than the six-year anniversary of Gauri Lankesh’s assassination.
Different Allegations Towards Pangarkar
Pangarkar was additionally implicated in a 2018 case involving an arms haul and a conspiracy to assault the Sunburn music competition in Pune. He, together with 4 different co-accused, confronted costs underneath the Illegal Actions (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Indian Penal Code (IPC), Explosives Act, and Explosive Substances Act.
Nonetheless, the Bombay Excessive Court docket granted him and his co-accused bail in August 2023, citing inadequate proof to show the conspiracy costs.
