Milind Ekbote (second from left) being produced at the Shirur court earlier this month. (Express photo)
District and sessions judge S M Menjoge today granted bail to Hindutva leader Milind Ekbote, who was arrested by the Pune rural police in connection with the January 1 violence in Koregaon Bhima area.
Following complaint filed by Dalit activist, offence of was lodged against Ekbote, along with Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide, two Koregaon Bhima villagers Yogesh Gavhane and Ganesh Phadtare and one Anil Dave, on charges of attempt to murder, atrocity against Dalits and conspiracy of January 1 violence. Ekbote was arrested in this case on March 14, but was later granted bail by the court.
Police then arrested Ekbote as a conspirator in a case lodged by Assistant police inspector Nitin Shivaji Lakade, who got injured during the violence on January 1. Ekbote was the 31st person arrested in this case. Earlier, a total of 44 persons were named as accused in this case, of whom 30 persons including the key suspect Ganesh Phadtare, were arrested and three minors were detained, on charges of attempt to murder. But, later all were released on bail by the court. Police had claimed that most of these accused persons are those who went to clashed with each other at the Koregaon Bhima junction on January 1, holding saffron and blue flags and were arrested on the basis of video footage on January 1 violence captured by CCTV cameras in Koregaon Bhima area.
While the court was hearning Ekbote’s bail plea on April 17, district government pleader Ujjwala Pawar had opposed it arguing that Ekbote distributed a pamphlet with objectionable content to media persons at the Sonai Hotel on December 30, which incited two communities against each other leading to the communal violence on January 1. Pawar had also cited some confidential witness statements to opposing bail for Ekbote.
But, defence lawyer S K Jain had argued that Ekbote already got bail in the case he was charged with conspiracy and atrocity against Dalits. Jain further argued that pamphlet issued by Ekbote on December 30 is just a view and it has nothing to do with the conspiracy of January 1 violence. “Ekbote was accompanied with police guards on December 30. Also, he was at his residence in Pune with his police guard on January 1. Police guards have submitted their statements to the investigation officer. There was no conspiracy planned. He has been co-operating with the investigators,” Jain had said.
Meanwhile, advocate Tosif Shaikh, representing victim Anjana Gaikwad had also opposed Ekbote’s bail plea citing criminal cases against him in the past. However, the court today passed an order granting bail to Ekbote.