Centre transferred Koregaon-Bhima probe to NIA for fear of being exposed: Sharad Pawar
Mumbai, Jan 25: NCP chief Sharad Pawar alleged on Saturday that the Union government transferred the probe of the Koregaon-Bhima violence case to the NIA fearing that fresh investigation by the Maharashtra government would expose dubious actions of the previous BJP-led dispensation.
The Union home ministry transferred the probe to the National Investigation Agency soon after the Shiv Sena-NCP- Congress government took some steps to go to the root of the case, Pawar claimed.
Speaking to reporters here, Pawar noted the case was transferred to the central agency days after he wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, alleging that the violence was the result of a conspiracy hatched by the then BJP-led government with the help of police, and sought an SIT probe.
"The deputy chief minister (Ajit Pawar) and home minister (Anil Deshmukh) called a meeting (of police officials) to know the factual position. But within four-five hours of that, the Centre handed over the probe to its agency," Pawar claimed.
While the Union government has got some additional rights (to transfer a case) under the NIA Act, law and order is a state subject, the NCP chief noted.
He also questioned the reason for handing over the case to the NIA "in a hurry".
"It shows there is substance in the allegation that some officials misused powers to arrest people, including innocent ones," the former Union minister said.
"I think this (fresh probe by the state) would have exposed (the earlier government) and to avoid that this has been done," Pawar said, terming the Union home ministry's action as dubious.
The NCP president also questioned the branding of Left-leaning activists arrested in connection with the case as `Maoists'. Then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had not mentioned any Maoist connection when he spoke about the Koregaon-Bhima violence in the Assembly, Pawar claimed.
Pawar also asked the state government to probe "behavior" of the police officers who probed the case even though the matter has been transferred to the NIA now.
Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar, a minister of state for home in the Fadnavis-led government, had said on Friday that there was evidence against the arrested activists.
Pawar said he disagreed with Kesarkar. He did not know how much information was shared with Kesarkar when he was a minister of state, he added.
"The minister of state for home does not have as much powers as a (cabinet) minister," he said.
According to Pune police, the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, was supported by Maoists and inflammatory speeches made at the event led to the caste violence at the Koregaon Bhima war memorial in the district the next day.
During the course of the probe into the violence, the police arrested activists Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Varavara Rao for alleged Maoist links.
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Road crash in UP leaves 10 dead
Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) (PTI): Ten people were killed when a van collided head-on with a truck on the Sisaiya-Lakhimpur national highway on Monday, police said.
The van was going to Sisaiya from Lakhimpur when the accident took place between Unchgaon and Bharehta villages.
Circle Officer of Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh, said all nine passengers travelling in the van and the driver were killed.
District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri Anjani Kumar Singh told reporters that the van collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction, leading to nine casualties on the spot, while one succumbed to injuries at the district hospital.
Circle Officer, Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh told PTI, "Efforts are on to establish the identity of other deceased persons."
The seven of the deceased have been identified as Jaideep Singh (25), Pawan (23), Sohan (21), Ram Goyal (42), Sahajram (35), Pappu (18), all residents of Bahraich district and Adnan Khan (15), a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri district, police said.
Condoling the loss of lives in the accident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a post on X, said, "The loss of life in the unfortunate road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply distressing and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families."
"I have directed the local administration to provide prompt and adequate assistance to the injured and the victims. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant the departed souls a place at His divine feet and to bestow a speedy recovery upon the injured," Adityanath said on X.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak too condoled the loss of lives in the accident.
"The loss of lives resulting from the road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply tragic and heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families," Maurya said.
