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Witness in Bhima Koregaon violence says didn’t see Hindutva leaders on Jan 1, 2018
Violence broke out during bicentennial celebrations of a British-era war at Bhima Koregaon in Maharashtra’s Pune district and left one person dead.
A key witness in the Bhima Koregaon violence case told a judicial probe commission on Tuesday that she didn’t see two Hindu right-wing leaders at the spot on January 1, 2018 but mentioned them in the FIR – the first one filed in the case – because she heard their names in slogans.
Violence broke out during bicentennial celebrations of a British-era war at Bhima Koregaon in Maharashtra’s Pune district and left one person dead. Soon after, Pune (Rural) Police booked Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide on the basis of the FIR filed by activist Anita Ravindra Sawale, 39.
But on Tuesday, Savale said she didn’t see the duo at the spot where the violence first erupted – the village of Vadhu Budruk near Bhima Koregaon.
“I personally do not know Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide. I did not see them when we had gone to Vadhu Budruk on January 1, 2018. I have mentioned their names in the FIR because the rioters were taking their names and giving slogans such as ‘Milind Ekbote ki Jai, ‘Sambhaji Bhide ki Jai’.”
She also said she didn’t know about the organisation they were affiliated to, Shiv Jagran Pratisthan, but was told about it by unknown people and social media posts.
“I don’t know the organisation Shiv Jagaran Pratishthan. I have heard about it through social media. I do not know whether Shiv Jagaran Pratisthan is of Sambhaji Bhide. It is correct to say that I had no personal knowledge about the organisation and its office bearers, however, I mentioned it in FIR on coming to know about it from the people and social media. I will not be able to tell the names of the persons and names of the social media from where I gathered this information.”
For decades, Dalit groups have celebrated the war of Bhima Koregaon, where a small British army manned primarily by the Mahar sub-caste defeated a much larger force of the then rulers, the Peshwas, who were notorious for oppressive caste practices.
The two-member judicial commission was set up by the Maharashtra government to probe the violence. The Pune (Urban) Police is pursuing a separate inquiry where they have charged several activists with conspiring to foment violence and colluding with Maoists. Police never arrested Bhide while Ekbote is out on bail.
On Tuesday, Savale was questioned by advocate Shishir Hiray on behalf of the state government. Regarding a specific query on whether she actually visited the Jai Stambh (victory pillar) at Bhima Koregaon, she said “ In my evidence before the commission, I have stated that we could not reach the Jai Stambh on January 1, 2018, to pay homage (darshan), whereas in my statement before the police on March 21, 2018, I stated that we have taken darshan of Jay Stambh on Jan 1, 2018. Thereby, I mean to say we took darshan of Jay Stambh from a distance. On Jan 1, 2018, we were not wearing clothes or identifying marks by which we would have been identified as Dalit. We were having a blue flag on our vehicle, which we took out when we saw that there was stone pelting and riots going on the road.”
Sawale alleged that she faced threats for naming the two Hindu leaders in her FIR. “We were asked to vacate our rented premises by the landlord due to threats received. We have been indirectly threatened, to withdraw the FIR against Ekbote and Bhide. I have been threatened on social media and maligned in context of my complaint,” she said.
