Within hours after the Supreme Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea, Hindu Ekta Aghadi (HEA) leader Milind Ekbote was arrested by the Pune rural police on Wednesday afternoon for his alleged role in instigating and abetting violence at Bhima-Koregaon, in which one person was killed and sizeable property was destroyed.
The district rural police arrested Ekbote from his Shivajinagtar residence in Pune, after the Supreme Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea. The apex court had last month granted Ekbote interim anticipatory bail till March 14, a period that ended on Wednesday.
The Pune district will seek Ekbote’s custody for interrogation, by producing him before a Pune court on Thursday.
The Pune police have registered two FIRs against Ekbote for allegedly instigating and abetting violence at Bhima-Koregaon on January 1, 2018.
Ekbote has been booked under sections 153 -A (Giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) and Sections 117 (Abetting commission of offence by the public or by more than 10 persons) of IPC for his alleged role in triggering disturbances at Bhima-Koregaon.
Ekbote also faces charges under sections 307 (attempt to murder) 143 ( punishment for unlawful assembly), 148 ( rioting, armed with deadly weapon) 149 Unlawful assembly with a common object), and 295 ( injuring or defiling place of worship with an intent to insult the religion) of the IPC, and the Prevention of Atrocities Act, based on complaints filed at various police stations on January 1.
On January 22, a Pune sessions court had rejected his anticipatory bail application. Subsequently, the Bombay High Court rejected his anticipatory bail application on February 2.
On February 6, a Pune court had issued an arrest warrant against Ekbote. The development had followed rejection of his anticipatory bail plea by the Bombay High court four days earlier.
later, Ekbote moved the Supreme Court seeking interim anticipatory bail. While extending Ekbote’s interim anticipatory bail plea, the apex court had last month upbraided the Maharashtra Government and the police for the tardy progress of iits probe against him on the ground that he was “untraceable”.
It may be recalled that on January 1, one Rahul Phatangale (28), a Dalit, was killed and another 40-odd vehicles and some other property were damaged after some miscreants attacked Dalits celebrating the January 1, 1818 victory of British troops over Peshwa Bajirao II's army at Bhima-Koregaon in Pune district of western Maharashtra. Following the incident, Maharashtra had witnessed large-scale Dalit protests which turned violent at some places.