Koregaon Bhima violence case: Probe panel issues show cause notice to ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai, Oct 30 (PTI) A commission probing the 2018 Koregaon Bhima violence on Thursday issued a show cause notice to former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for failing to respond to an application seeking production of documents related to the case.

The inquiry commission, headed by former high court chief justice J N Patel, in the notice to Thackeray asked why it should not allow an application filed by Prakash Ambedkar seeking bailable warrant to be issued against him.

Ambedkar, leader of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and a witness in the case, had in February this year filed an application seeking a direction to Thackeray to produce the documents submitted by NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar in 2020.

According to Ambedkar, Pawar, in the documents submitted to Thackeray, had claimed that certain right wing organisations were responsible for the violence at Koregaon Bhima near Pune city in 2018.

The commission on Thursday said it had issued notices twice - on September 12 and October 27 - to Thackeray seeking his response to the application.

However, Thackeray failed to respond to the notices, following which Ambedkar, through his advocate Kiran Kadam, filed an application seeking bailable warrant to be issued against Thackeray.

The commission issued a show cause notice to Thackeray asking why the application should not be allowed.

The commission has posted the matter for hearing on December 2 and said if on that day Thackeray or his legal representative is not present before the panel then further action permissible in law would be taken.

The Maharashtra government had set up the commission in February 2018 to conduct an inquiry into the violence. The commission is headed by former high court chief justice J N Patel. Former chief secretary Sumit Mullick is its member.

According to the police, violence had broken out on January 1, 2018 between caste groups near the war memorial in Pune district during the bicentennial anniversary of the 1818 battle of Koregaon Bhima.

One person died and several others, including 10 police personnel, were injured in the incident.

The Pune police had alleged that provocative speeches at the 'Elgar Parishad conclave', held on December 31, 2017, in Pune, triggered the violence near Koregaon Bhima.

The police claimed the Elgar Parishad conclave organisers had links with Maoists. PTI SP NP