Cops don’t know Ekbote’s whereabouts after he sent back guard on January 1

PUNE: Controversy is not new to Milind Ekbote, head of Samasta Hindu Aghadi, a Pune-based right-wing organization, who has been accused of playing a role in the Koregaon Bhima violence on New Year's Day.
He has 36 police cases pending against him across the state. The cases are not serious in nature. He has not been held guilty in any case of violence by the courts.

An active supporter of the anti-cow slaughter act, Ekbote was allegedly attacked by butchers in Pune Cantonment area in 2015. He escaped with minor injuries and has been moving around in the city with an armed guard provided by the Pune police.

The day he was booked for his alleged involvement in the Koregaon Bhima violence, his supporters issued a press statement asserting that Ekbote was not present at the spot and the police could verify it from their own person appointed to guard him round-the-clock.

But the Pune police on Friday said that on January 1, Ekbote had returned his personal security guard. "We have no idea about his whereabouts since then," Sanjay Baviksar, deputy commissioner of police (special branch), told TOI.

"The security was confined to Ekbote's movement within the city limits and whenever he had to move out of the city, he would return the guard," Baviskar said. Police bandobast has been deployed outside Ekbote's house since Wednesday.

His elder brother Gajanan Ekbote, who heads the committee that runs Modern College in Pune, said Milind was out of town and would meet people next week. "There is no reason for him to run away. He will speak with everyone and the media soon," Gajanan said.

"He has not gone to Koregaon Bhima or Vadhu after December 17. He has no role in the violence. Police have not contacted us about the case," Gajanan told TOI.

He added that there was no documentary, audio or video evidence against his brother about his involvement in the violence at Koregaon Bhima. "He has been working for dalit communities for many years," Gajanan said, demanding the quashing of the FIR filed against his brother.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has set up a committee to conduct an inquiry into the violence and the Ekbote family along with Milind will offer complete cooperation to the police, he said.

Gajanan said Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh chief Prakash Ambedkar's remarks against his brother were part of a political plan and they would file a defamation case against Ambedkar for baseless allegations.

The Ekbote family and Samasta Hindu Aghadi submitted letters to the district collector on Friday evening and sent a copy to Fadnavisand guardian minister Girish Bapat.

Sources close to Milind Ekbote said he recently celebrated his 61st birthday. He reveres Sambhaji Maharaj and travels to Vadhu every no moon day where he has constructed a Rs 3 crore memorial to Sambhaji Maharaj through donations, Gajanan said.

Milind distanced himself from active politics and has begun to concentrate on work for the uplift of the poor and dalit communities, sources said.

"He fought the 2014 assembly election on a Shiv Sena ticket, but lost. He was a corporator for two terms—1992-97 (on BJP ticket) and 2002-07 (Independent)," sources added.

Ekbote was at the forefront of the agitation at Pratapgad fort near Mahabaleshwar against the memorial of Adilshahi general Afzal Khan.