Bhima Koregaon Violence: No Fact-Finding Committeee Was Formed, Says Pune Police After a Report Blamed Milind Ekbote And Sambhaji Bhide For Riots
The police said no 'fact-finding' committee was formed in connection with the Bhima Koregaon riots case, and no report was submitted to the Maharashtra government.
Mumbai, Sep 11: The Pune police on Tuesday dismissed a news report about a 'fact-finding' team which blamed Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide for violence in Bhima Koregaon on January 1 this year. The police said no 'fact-finding' committee was formed in connection with the Bhima Koregaon riots case, and no report was submitted to the Maharashtra government.
"No such fact-finding committee was set up by the Maharashtra government or Special Inspector general of Police Vishwas Nangre Patil in case of Bhima Koregaon incident. No report has been submitted to the state governmeny by anyone," the police said in a statement. A judicial commission has been set up to probe into Bhima Koregaon incidet, whose inquiry is still pending, the police added.
A Mumbai Mirror report said a 'fact-finding' panel, led by Pune Deputy Mayor Dr Siddharth Dhende, submitted a report to the inspector general of police, Kolhapur range who, according to the report, formed the panel. The report concluded the Bhima Koregaon violence was 'pre-planned' and Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide created an atmosphere over a period of 15 years that led to riots.
The report said Milind Ekbote held a meeting on December 30 in which the proposal for a bandh in Bhima Koregaon and nearby villages was also discussed. The panel also said lathis and swords were brought in the village and water tankers were filled with kerosene a day before the rampage.
“In the meeting, Ekbote appealed that January 1, 2018, be observed as a black day. Plans to observe a bandh in Bhima Koregaon and nearby villages were also discussed in the meeting. On December 30, 2017, the villagers of Bhima Koregaon decided to observe a bandh on January 1, and submitted a letter to this effect to the police,” the report stated.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 11, 2018 08:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).