Sharad Pawar seeks time to appear before Koregaon Bhima probe panel, to file additional affidavit
India Today
Seeking time to file an additional affidavit, it is likely that NCP chief Sharad Pawar will not be appearing before the Koregaon Bhima Inquiry Commission on Feb 23-24.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar sought time to file additional affidavit before the Koregaon Bhima Inquiry Commission, and it is likely that he will be appearing before the probe panel later. The commission has accepted the same and granted time to Pawar, said advocate Ashish Satpute who represents the commission.
Pawar had filed an affidavit earlier and was to appear before the commission in 2020, but could not appear due to the Covid-19 lockdown. He was then supposed to appear before the commission on February 23 and 24.
The commission, which is being held at times in Pune and at times in Mumbai, is currently hearing the deposition of IPS officer Ravindra Sengaonkar. Currently posted as inspector general in Mumbai, Sengaonkar was the additional commissioner (south region) of Pune City Police at the time of the Bhima Koregaon violence in 2018.
Sengaonkar had filed affidavit on behalf of Pune City Police in 2018, in which he had stated that on Dec 31, 2017, allegedly “provocative speeches” were made at the Elgar Parishad organised by those associated with Leftist ideology and the banned CPI(Maoist) group. Sengaonkar had also alleged that Elgar Parishad was “part of the strategy of the outfit to overthrow the democratic system established in the country as per the Indian Constitution”.
READ | What happened at Bhima Koregaon
On Tuesday, while deposing before the commission, Sengaonkar said that Elgar Parishad organisers made an application to the police seeking permission to hold ‘Samata Parishad’ at Shanivar Wada in Pune, under the banner of Kranti Jyoti Savitribai Phule Samajik Seva Sanstha, whereas the publicity was made under the auspices of Elgar Parishad by distributing literature i.e. pamphlets, booklets, handbills, banners etc.
When he was asked if Pune Police took any action against the organisers for having misled the public and police force for promoting the cause of Elgar Parishad under the garb of ‘Samata Parishad’, Sengaonkar said 'no' and added, "Permission was asked and given for cultural programme and that’s why we did not initiate any action."
