Tense CM Fadnavis awaits judicial probe on Pune violence

Mumbai: With a judicial probe yet to commence in the Bhima Koregaon violence that erupted on January 1 in Pune district, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is worried, said sources. The CM wanted a sitting judge of the Bombay high court (HC) to conduct the probe. Mr Fadnavis had met the Chief Justice of the HC on January 5 with the request, but there has been no decision on it so far.

The government has not taken any action against right-wing leaders Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote on the grounds that the judicial probe is still pending. The duo allegedly instigated the violence. Sources said that the CM may seek the appointment of a retired judge for the probe if his earlier proposal is turned down. The opposition and dalit leaders are putting pressure on the CM to order a probe in the Bhima Koregaon violence. Union minister and RPI leader Ramdas Athawale said, “The government should not wait for the judicial probe report. Action needs to be taken against the culprits. The government should not protect them.”  

It may be recalled that the HC had provided sitting judges to probe the 1992 Mumbai riots, 1993 bomb blasts and the 1997 Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar police-firing incident. But reports of the enquiry under the Commission of Enquiries Act are not binding on the government.

The government had not accepted Justice Shrikrishna commission and Justice S.D. Gundewar commission reports initially. However, after public interest litigations and political pressure those reports were implemented later.