Veteran communist leader Govind Pansare passes away

Veteran Communist leader Govind Pansare (84) who was shot last Monday in Kolhapur died in a hospital in Mumbai.

Pansare who was being treated in a private hospital in Kolhapur was only today airlifted to Breach Candy hospital by the Maharashtra government for better treatment. However Pansare who had suffered a head injury succumbed to his illness shortly around midnight.

Pansare a Communist leader as well as anti-toll activist was going for a morning walk last Monday along with his wife Uma (70) when he was shot by two bike born assailants who came asking for directions. Pansare’s wife Uma also suffered injuries when she tried to fight off the assailants. However Uma is currently recovering in the hospital.

The Maharashtra police has formed 20 teams to investigate the Pansare murder. The communist leader’s family and aides have claimed that he was also being threatened by right wing activists for a number of days.

Pansare’s murder is identical to the killing of anti superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar who was shot and killed in Pune while he was taking a morning stroll on August 20, 2013. Dabholkar too was killed by two bike born assailants. In spite of two years the killers of Dabholkar have not been caught.