Nearly eight years after the murder of communist leader and rationalist Govind Pansare, a court in Maharashtra's Kolhapur city has framed charges against ten accused in the case.

A criminal trial starts once charges are framed in the case.

Judge S S Tambe on Monday framed charges against Sameer Gaikwad, Virendra Sinh Tawde, Amol Kale, Vasudev Suryawanshi, Bharat Kurane, Amit Degvekar, Sharad Kalaskar, Sachin Andure, Amit Baddi and Ganesh Miskin.

The case was probed by a special investigation team of Maharashtra Police.

The charges were framed under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 120-B (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Arms Act, said public prosecutor Shivajirao Rane.

The next hearing in the case will be on January 23, Rane added.

Of the 12 accused in the case, Vinay Pawar and Sarang Akolkar are absconding.

Of the remaining ones, Gaikwad is out on bail. Tawde obtained bail in this case, but he is in jail in the rationalist Narendra Dabholkar murder case.

Kalaskar and Andure are also named as accused in the Dabholkar case. Dr Dabholkar, a renowned anti-superstition activist, was shot dead on August 20, 2013, in Pune city.

Govind Pansare and his wife Uma Pansare were shot in Kolhapur city on February 15, 2015, while on a morning walk.

Govind Pansare succumbed to his injuries five days later while his wife survived.

According to the investigation agencies, some of the accused in the case were also connected to the murders of Dabholkar, Kannada writer M M Kalburgi and journalist Gauri Lankesh.