Right-Wing Activist and Pansare Murder Suspect Sameer Gaikwad Dies at 43

Sameer Gaikwad, a right-wing activist accused in the murder of rationalist Govind Pansare, has passed away in Maharashtra's Sangli district. Gaikwad, associated with Sanatan Sanstha, was previously arrested and released on bail. He died, allegedly from cardiac arrest, and a postmortem report is awaited for confirmation.

In a significant development, Sameer Gaikwad, a right-wing activist accused in the 2015 murder of rationalist Govind Pansare, died in Maharashtra's Sangli district early Tuesday. Officials reported his death due to a suspected cardiac arrest, with further confirmation pending a postmortem report.

Gaikwad, aged 43, was formerly associated with Sanatan Sanstha and was arrested in 2015, identified as a 'co-conspirator' in Pansare's high-profile murder case. Granted bail in 2017, Gaikwad had been residing in Sangli. On Tuesday, he was declared dead on arrival at a hospital.

The case, initially managed by local police, was later escalated to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and subsequently transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) following a lack of concrete breakthroughs. Despite multiple arrests, including Gaikwad's, authorities have struggled to close the case due to limited progress.

(With inputs from agencies.)