Gauri Lankesh case accused joins Shinde Sena ahead of Maharashtra polls, gets charge of Jalna campaign

On Friday, Pangarkar joined the Shinde Sena successful the beingness of enactment person and erstwhile authorities curate Arjun Khotkar, who said helium (Pangarkar) has been fixed complaint of the party’s canvass run successful Jalna Assembly constituency.

“Pangarkar is simply a erstwhile Shiv Sainik and has returned to the party. He has been fixed work of the Jalna Vidhan Sabha canvass campaign… He has been moving for the party. He has been released by the tribunal and has travel retired of jailhouse aft completing the judicial proceedings,” said Khotkar, who is apt to contention the Assembly elections. Asked if Pangarkar would get a enactment ticket, Khotkar said helium would enactment for the enactment successful Jalna.

When contacted, the Shinde Sena’s spokesperson and MLA, Sanjay Shirsat, however, said helium was not alert of Pangarkar joining the party.

Pangarkar was Jalna municipal councillor of the undivided Shiv Sena betwixt 2001and 2006. After helium was dropped by the enactment during the 2011 civic elections, helium joined the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti.

Pangarkar was arrested successful 2 cases earlier — by the Karnataka constabulary SIT for the Lankesh murder, and by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) successful the Nallasopara arms haul lawsuit – and was lodged astatine Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail earlier being released connected bail.

In the Lankesh case, helium was accused of arranging firearms and attending a grooming camp. The Karnataka High Court granted him bail connected September 4 this year, observing that helium was 1 of the accused who was admittedly not astatine the transgression scene, but was accused of conspiring and arranging vehicles and firearms.

In the arms haul lawsuit — pistols, airguns and crude bombs were seized successful Maharashtra’s Nallasopara successful August 2018 — the ATS claimed that Pangarkar had facilitated the backing for procuring the weapons. The 12 accused arrested, including Pangarkar, were charged with plotting attacks.

The ATS claimed that the accused had conspired to disrupt the Sunburn euphony festival held successful Pune successful December 2017 by throwing petrol bombs, due to the fact that they felt that it was against Hindu culture. They dropped the program aft an accused recovered himself exposed to a CCTV camera astatine the venue, it said. The ATS besides claimed that the 12 accused had conducted recce of the homes of immoderate salient persons.

The ATS filed a chargesheet successful December 2018. Pangarkar and the others were charged nether the anti-terror instrumentality Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act and Maharashtra Police Act.

On July 30 this year, the Bombay High Court granted Pangarkar and 4 others bail connected the crushed that the proceedings was underway, but the anticipation of its timely completion appeared bleak.

Lankesh was changeable dormant extracurricular her residence successful Bengaluru connected September 5, 2017. A Karnataka constabulary SIT arrested 17 persons linked to the Sanatan Sanstha and different outfits for the murder. Eleven of the 17 accused person been granted bail portion the lawsuit has been nether trial.

Earlier this month, 2 cardinal accused successful the Lankesh case, including the alleged shooter, were felicitated by members of Hindutva groups successful the Vijayapura portion of Karnataka aft they were released connected bail.