Narendra Dabholkar murder case: CBI quizzes Virendra Singh Tawde's wife

New Delhi: CBI on Tuesday questioned Nidhi Tawde, wife of arrested Hindu Janajagruti Samiti member Virendra Singh Tawde, in connection with rationalist Narendra Dabholkar murder case.

Nidhi, who is not an accused in the case, was examined about details relating to alleged conspiracy to eliminate Dabholkar as the agency believes she might be witness to some development when it was being hatched, sources said.

Searches were also carried out at her properties on the outskirts of Mumbai.

Sources said the agency has information about her participation in programmes against Dabholkar with her husband, besides, she had been an active member of Sanatan Sanstha, which is under scanner in the case.

They said the agency will also ask her about cyber forensic evidence like email, messages recovered from the laptops of Tawde which were sent to Sarang Akolkar, another suspect against whom a Red Corner Notice is pending in 2009 Goa blasts.

Dabholkar was shot dead by two unidentified men during morning walk on Omkareshwar Bridge in Pune on August 20, 2013.

Tawde and Akolkar wanted to eliminate Dabholkar in 2009 itself, but they dropped the plan due to the Margao bomb blast which took place the same year, CBI sources said, citing evidence pieced together by the agency.

Tawde, suspected to be the mastermind of the conspiracy, kept on planning a hit on the activist along with Akolkar. The plan was finally executed on August 20, 2013, they said.

The probe into Dabholkar murder case was handed over to CBI in May 2014 by the Bombay High Court. The NIA is handling the Margao blast case.

The sources also said Tawde hated Dabholkar for his relentless campaign against superstition. He also allegedly played a key role in the 2009 Sangli-Miraj riots.

The Sanstha has denied any role in Dabholkar's murder and termed Tawde's arrest as "mysterious".