Bombay HC slams Maharashtra police for press conference on sub-judice Bhima-Koregaon case

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court rapped the Maharashtra Police on Monday for holding a presser in connection with the recent Bhima-Koregaon raids while the matter is sub-judice.

The court further adjourned a petition demanding a National Investigation Agency (NIA) inquiry in the Elgar Parishad matter for the hearing on September 7, since copies of the petition were not served to all concerned persons, reported ANI.

In a press conference on  Friday, August 31, Maharashtra police ADG PB Singh said that the evidence collected establishes the link between arrested activists with Maoist organisations and Communist Party of India (Maoist).

The activists were planning “another Rajiv Gandhi-like incident”, he added.

Last week, the Pune Police arrested Left-wing activists Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Navlakha, and raided the homes of several others as part of their probe into the 'Elgar Parishad' conclave in Koregaon-Bhima village near Pune on December 31 last year.

The Supreme Court later ordered that the five activists be kept under house arrest till September 6.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Pune court granted an extension of the 90-day period for filing charge sheet against five persons arrested in June for alleged Maoist links. Police had arrested Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen and Mahesh Raut in June while probing the alleged Maoist connection to the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31 last year.