Upset with the Shiv Sena over Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to let the NIA take over the investigations into the 2018 Bhima Koregaon-Elgaar Parishad case, the ruling NCP is keen on setting up a parallel inquiry into the case by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). It is seeking a legal opinion in the matter before going ahead with its plan.
Four days after Uddhav overruled its reservations on the issue and decided to let the NIA take over the probe into the Bhima Koregaon-Elgaar Parishad case, NCP – at a meeting of the party’s Ministers in the Shiv Sena-MVA Govt -convened by its chief Sharad Pawar on Monday – decided to explore the possibility of ordering a parallel inquiry by the SIT.
Talking to media persons after the meeting, State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said: “The Maharashtra Govt may have let the NIA carry out the investigations in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgaar Parishad case to the NIA.
But we will seek a legal opinion if we can institute an SIT to investigate the case”.
“There is insistence within the NCP to set up an SIT probe into the case – independent of the one being done by the NIA. We will also consult the chief minister in this regard,” Deshmukh said.
If the NCP—which holds the Home portfolio in the state – decides to go ahead with the SIT probe into the Bhima Koregaon-Elgaar Parishad case, it will send a clear cut message to its ruling ally –Shiv Sena that the chief minister – can ill-afford to “overrule” his party’s allies in the MVA on crucial matters like the one in the case. Simultaneously, the NCP is bound to trigger a confrontation between the State and Centre over a parallel probe on the Bhima Koregaon-Elgaar Parishad case. Monday’s development should be seen in the context of the statement made by Pawar on Friday last, disapproving Uddhav’s decision let the NIA take over the investigations into the 2018 Bhima Koregaon case.
Expressing his displeasure to the chief minister’s decision, Pawar had said: : “Under the Constitution, maintaining law & order is a state subject. In the first place, it was improper on the Centre to encroach upon the rights of the state and take over the case from the Pune police.
It was much more improper on the state government’s part to support the Centre’s move (to ask the NIA to take over the case).
It may be recalled that on January 25 --a day after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) handed over the investigations in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgaar Parishad case to the NIA, a miffed Pawar had charged that the ruling BJP – with an acute fear of being exposed in the case – had hurriedly handed over the investigations to the NIA.
“The re-investigations are necessary in the case, because the Centre’s move has aroused suspicions...The Centre might have apprehended that if a re-investigation is ordered into the case, the previous BJP government and its hand-picked officials might be exposed.
Only an independent probe will bring out truth in the case,” Pawar had said,
The investigations handed over to the NIA relate to the cases registered against 23 activists in connection with the violence that erupted on January 1, 2018 at a gathering of thousands of Dalits at Bhima-Koregaon in Pune district who were celebrating 200th anniversary of January 1, 1818 victory of British troops over Peshwa Bajirao at Bhima Koregaon in Pune district, and the provocative speeches delivered by the activists at an Elgaar Parishad held in Pune on December 31, 2017, a day before the celebrations at Bhima Koregaon. Nine of the accused hare been booked for their alleged links with the CPI-Maoist links.
The police had arrested ten CPI (Maoist) activists in two batches in connection with the Elgaar Parishad-cum- Bhima-Koregaon riots case. They were among the 15 activists against whom the police had registered cases. The five are still absconding.
All of the accused have been booked for serious offences under unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 117 ( abetting commission of offence), 120-b ( conspiracy) read with 34 (common intention), 121, 121 (A) (Waging or attempting to wage a war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India) 124A (sedition), 153 –A (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot..) and 505-1b (statements conducing public mischief) of Indian Penal Code (IPC).\
Among other things, they have been charged with involvement in a conspiracy to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi and overthrow the democratically elected Government in the country.