To avoid repeat of violence near the Koregaon Bhima war memorial in Pune district on January 1, 2018, the police has taken preventive action against 1,200 people, including barring some from entering the area and externment of some others.
Senior police officials said that those who have been prohibited from visiting Koregaon Bhima and the surrounding area include right-wing Hindu leader Milind Ekbote and members of the left-leaning cultural group Kabir Kala Manch (KKM).
Addressing a joint press conference here, Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandip Patil said “preventive action” has been taken against 1,211 people under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). This includes barring 64 people from visiting the surrounding area, he said.
Delay tactics
Meanwhile, Ambedkarite outfits have accused the police of dragging their feet over investigations into the clashes which left one person dead.
Till date, 23 FIRs have been registered by the Pune Rural Police. While 22 of these were registered at different police stations across Pune and other districts a week within the violence, one was registered as recently as December 3.
However, Rahul Dambale, president, Republican Yuva Sena, told The Hindu that “Only 104 people, of the 1,400-odd people identified as rioters, have been arrested or investigated till date. This is less than 10% of the total accused.” Besides, though FIRs were filed, not a single charge sheet has been filed by the Pune Rural Police and other investigating agencies.
Mr. Dambale further points out that what most people overlook is that violence continued after the clashes of January 1, with nine Dalit shops and establishments being torched by mobs on January 2.
The last FIR, registered on December 3, was based on a complaint by 55-year-old Mangal Kailas Kamble, whose house and shop was burnt by a mob on January 2.
“Even after so many months of importuning them, the Shikrapur police refused to take notice of my complaint. It is only after a video clip showing the mob gutting my house and shop surfaced that the police finally took action,” said Ms. Kamble.
Questioning the inexplicable delay on part of the police, a number of Dalit outfits have demanded that the government and the police administration come out with a ‘white paper’ to clear the air on the status of the investigation.
“The trouble is that the police do not tell us anything about the progress of the case. There is ample evidence against the rioters at hand in terms of video footage,” said Milind Ahire of the Bahujan Republican Socialist Party.