Koregaon Bhima case: VBA leader to submit affidavit on July 24
The then assistant commissioner of police Shivaji Pawar, who was the investigating officer of the case till it was transferred to the National Investigating Agency (NIA)
PUNE Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) founder Prakash Ambedkar reiterated his demand for cross-examination deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis during his Monday appearance before the Koregaon Bhima Enquiry Commission. He also stated that he planned to file an affidavit by July 24.
Ambedkar said there is a need to summon and examine key individuals, including Fadnavis to probe lapses during the investigation of the Bhima Koregaon case.
Regarding the Koregaon Bhima violence in 2018, Ambedkar said, “The lapses of the 26/11 Mumbai attack case are akin to the loopholes in Koregaon Bhima case where intelligence was not acted upon. Important individuals like then-Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis need to be examined before the commission.”
“There is a need to probe the distribution of letters and pamphlets opposing the congregation before the January 1, 2018 incident to determine their authenticity and forces behind them,” he added.
The then assistant commissioner of police Shivaji Pawar, who was the investigating officer of the case till it was transferred to the National Investigating Agency (NIA) also deposed before the commission and his statements were recorded.
“I discussed with the commission and currently work is in progress. I had raised some issues with the commission and asked it to investigate them. The commission has asked me to submit an affidavit which I will submit on July 24,” said Pawar.
The Koregaon Bhima inquiry commission is headed by the retired chief justice of Calcutta High Court Jay Narayan Patel and includes former Maharashtra chief secretary Sumit Mullick as members.
The commission has stipulated six terms of reference, including identifying the causes of the January 1, 2018 riots that took place in Pune, identifying responsible groups, determining whether police and administration were prepared enough, and recommending short and long-term measures.
