Bhima Koregaon case: Maharashtra government holds review meeting with cops

Mumbai: In Bhima Koregaon case, Maharashtra Police on Thursday (January 23) briefed Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Home Minister Anil Deshmukh about the status of probe in the violent incident that took place in Pune on January 1, 2018.

Pawar, Deshmukh and senior state police officials held a meeting here at the state secretariat to review the case. The hour-long meeting assumes significance as NCP chief Sharad Pawar last month demanded that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be set up under a retired judge to probe the action taken by Pune Police in the case.

According to sources, Pune police gave answers to almost all the questions of the ministers but sought more time to give further clarifications on certain queries. The home minister, however, expressed apprehension on the role of the police and cancelled the meeting until the next discussion. 

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The cops explained as to how the documents recovered from the desktop of Rona Wilson and others were seized earlier during the raids conducted at Naxal hideouts and added that the SID Maharashtra had already shared these documents with the Centre.

The Pune cops told the HM Deshmukh that all evidence is forensic cloned copies. The HM was also informed that even the court has asked defence to get forensic experts and verify the evidence. The cops have also handed over details of evidence to the defence.

Notably, the cops strived hard to convince the HM against setting up probe against the policemen investigating the case as it will affect the department's morale.

After taking charge as Home minister, NCP leader Anil Deshmukh had stated that he would seek a status report on the case and then make a decision.

The term "urban Naxal" was used by the Pune Police probing the alleged links between the Elgar Parishad conclave of December 31, 2017, and the caste clashes around Koregaon Bhima in Pune district the next day.

Some rights activists were arrested in the case by the Pune city police, their rural counterparts had booked Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide for allegedly inciting violence. The Supreme Court granted bail to Ekbote, but Bhide was never arrested.

The Pune Police claimed that the conclave was backed by Maoists. The Parishad, they alleged, instigated violence near the Koregaon Bhima war memorial on January 1, 2018.