Bhide’s name dropped from Bhima Koregaon case: Police

The name of Sambhaji Bhide has been dropped from the 2018 Koregaon-Bhima violence case as no evidence was found against the right-wing leader, Pune rural police said.

The name of Sambhaji Bhide has been dropped from the 2018 Koregaon-Bhima violence case as no evidence was found against the right-wing leader, Pune rural police said in a report filed before the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission on Wednesday.

The name of Sambhaji Bhide has been dropped from the 2018 Koregaon-Bhima violence case as no evidence was found against the right-wing leader, police said.

“We have submitted this information to the commission... The name of Bhide has not been included in the chargesheet since there is no evidence against him so far,” Pune superintendent of police Abhinav Deshmukh said.

One person was killed and several people were injured after violence broke out near the Koregaon Bhima war memorial in Pune district on January 1, 2018. A case under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and various sections of the IPC, including attempt to murder, was registered against Bhide and others Shikrapur police station.

Besides Bhide, another right-wing leader Milind Ekbote was among those who were booked and accused of “orchestrating” the violence by the police. The case against Bhide and Ekbote was lodged on the basis of a complaint by Dalit activist Anita Sawale.

A total of 41 people have been named in the chargesheet filed by police in September last year.

Advocate Aditya Mishra last year had approached the MHRC, saying that former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had stated in the assembly that the case against Bhide would be withdrawn, but that did not happen.

In its report before the commission on Wednesday, police said Bhide’s name was not added to the chargesheet as no evidence was found against him.