A blow by blow account of the last moments of Narendra Dabholkar's life

Maharashtra's renowned rationalist and anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar, left Mumbai for Pune by train at 9 pm on Monday.

He reached Pune after midnight and stayed with his friend RG Jadhav on the third floor of Ameya apartment above MLA Girish Bapat's office in Shaniwar Peth area.

Dabholkar woke up around 6 am and stepped out of the house around 6.30 am.

Dabholkar proceeded towards Sambhaji Garden via Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde Bridge which is connected to the Balgandharva auditorium in Deccan area.

He reached the garden around 6.45 am, spending 20 minutes there before starting to return to the apartment.

Two attackers were already waiting on the other end of the bridge near Omkareshwar temple. Initially, they parked their Hero Honda Splendor bikes near the temple.

As soon as Dabholkar arrived on the bridge, the two attackers walked some distance. They came near Dabholkar and fired four rounds from a point blank range at 7.20 am.

Two bullets pierced his head and chest. After the incident, the attackers ran away towards their parked bike and left the area immediately.

Other people who had come for a walk heard the gunshots and rushed to the spot. They found Dabholkar lying in a pool of blood and contacted the police control room at around 7.30 am.

Teams from the Deccan police station and Faraskhana police station rushed to the spot. They checked his wallet that had his photo, a bus ticket and two cheques which helped them establish his identity.