Court directs NIA to give clone copies to Bhima Koregaon accused

Court was scheduled to begin arguments on framing of charges against accused in the case

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Wednesday directed the Central agency to provide clone copies of all the evidence relied upon by it in the Bhima Koregaon caste violence case.

The court was scheduled to begin arguments on framing of charges against the accused in the case. However, advocates appearing for three accused said they were not given all the clone copies. Special NIA judge DE Kothalikar, therefore, directed the NIA to do so under section 207 (supply to the accused a copy of police report and other documents) of the Code of Criminal Procedure by April 28.

The accused are Arun Ferreira, Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor and Jyoti Jagtap, activist of the Kabir Kala Manch, a troupe made up of Dalit and working-class musicians and poets who came together after the Hindu-Muslim riots of 2002.

On January 1, 1818, a battle was fought between the British army and the Peshwas and the latter retreated. A monument called ‘Vijay Stambh’ was built . On January 1, 1927, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar visited the site and started an annual tradition to celebrate the occasion. On December 31, 2017, a public meeting was organised called ‘Elgar Parishad’, and the next day, a large number of Dalits and Bahujans gathered and were attacked by a mob which resulted in the death of a Maratha youth.

On January 2, 2018, Anita Sawale filed an FIR against Hindutva leaders Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide and subsequently 22 FIRs were registered in the case. Most of them are under investigation. Subsequently, the Pune police conducted a crackdown and arrested activists Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen and Rona Wilson, Varvara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves, Gautam Navlakha, Babu, late Father Stan Swamy, Mr. Gaichor, Mr. Gorkhe and Ms. Jagtap. While Mr. Bhide and Mr. Ekbote are granted bail, the others continue to be incarcerated in jails.