Koregaon Bhima panel sends notices to top netas

MUMBAI: The two-member judicial commission headed by former chief justice J N Patel probing the Koregaon Bhima violence has issued notices to NCP president Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and leader of opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil to seek their views on measures to be taken to prevent such incidents in future.

A senior official of the commission on Saturday confirmed that these notices have been issued to heads of recognised political parties. “We are awaiting their response,” the official said.



In the wake of large-scale violence across the state between two groups following the death of a youth on January 1, 2018, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had on February 9 set up a twomember commission to probe the entire Koregaon Bhima episode. While Justice J N Patel is the chairman of the commission, former chief secretary Sumit Mullick, now the chief information commissioner, is the member.

The commission has been asked to probe into the sequence of events leading to the violence, the persons responsible for the violence and whether there was adequate police bandobast in and around Koregaon Bhima at the time and suggest measures to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in future.

“The show-cause notices have been sent to heads of all political parties in the context of the terms of reference of the commission. It was felt that if political parties make crucial suggestions, it would be better for the commission to make recommendations to the government,” he said.

The official said that both Justice Patel and Mullick had visited Koregaon Bhima for an on-spot study of the situation and are likely to visit the site again for recording the evidence of witnesses. The statements of a few witnesses have been recorded in Mumbai recently.

“Statements of witnesses residing near Koregaon Bhima will be recorded in Pune, while people desirous of submitting their statements in Mumbai will be examined in the city,” he said.

The official said so far 365 affidavits have been submitted to the commission. These affidavits have been filed on behalf of the Pune (rural) police, Pune collector, government agencies in the region and private individuals. “The commission is keen on completing its work in a time-bound manner,” the official said. The battle of Bhima-Koregaon between British and the Peshwa forces is considered a landmark one in the history of Dalits because of the role Mahar soldiers played in it.