A day after the Bombay High Court rapped the State police for conducting a press conference on the arrest of five human rights activists accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence, a plea seeks action against them.
Sanjay Bhalerao, a social worker and witness to the riots at Bhima- Koregaon, filed a criminal public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the transfer of investigation from Pune police to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and to initiate contempt proceedings against Additional Director General (Law and Order) Parambir Singh, DGP Colaba, the investigating officer in the case, and others involved in hosting the press meet.
The PIL also urged action against the police officers under Article 311 of the Constitution under which a civil servant can be dismissed for misconduct.
Evidence revealed
At the press conference, held on August 31, Mr. Singh said, “[the police] has evidence that clearly establishes links between Maoist organisations and the arrested activists.” He also displayed letters allegedly exchanged by some of the accused.
Mr. Bhalerao, through his advocate Nitin Satpute, had also challenged the bail plea of Milind Ekbote, prime accused in the Bhima Koregaon case.
He pointed out that in April, the Pune police conducted various raids and seizures and were then quiet for two months before arresting the activists Sudhir Dhavale, Rona Wilson, Advocate Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen and Mahesh Raut, who are all currently in judicial custody.
The cops were again silent for two months before raiding and arresting Varavara Roa, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Navalakha in August. They are under house arrest till September 6.
‘Politically motivated’
“It is unfortunate that the local police investigating the case at Vishrambaugh Police Station is politically motivated and unfair. It is arresting the intellectuals of society — social rights activist, advocates, human right activists, poets and writers. The Pune police are malafidely trying to connect them with the Bhima Koregaon incident which occurred on January 1, 2018. But an FIR has already been filed against Sambhaji Bhide, Mr. Ekbote and their accomplice in the case,” The PIL said.
(with inputs from PTI)
