Koregaon-Bhima commission summons Sharad Pawar on May 5, 6

The Koregaon-Bhima Inquiry Commission has directed NCP chief Sharad Pawar to appear before it on May 5 and 6 in connection with his statement in the January 2018 violence in a war memorial in the Maharashtra of Pune district.

The panel had earlier summoned Pawar in 2020, but he could not appear before the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Later, another summons was issued to Pawar for appearing before the commission on February 23 and 24 this year, but a senior politician had sought a fresh date, saying he wanted to file an additional affidavit before recording his testimony. The Affidavit was recently submitted.

Following this, Pawar issued another summons issued on Wednesday to the panel’s advocate, Ashish Satpute.

The NCP chief has been asked to appear before the inquiry commission on May 5 and 6, Satpute added.

Pawar had filed an affidavit before the commission on October 8, 2018.

In February 2020, social group Vivek Vichar Manch member filed an application before Sagar Shinde filed an application to the Pawar to make certain statements about the 2018 caste violence in the media.

The two-member probe commission comprises The Calcutta High Court’s retired Chief Justice JN Patel and former Maharashtra Chief Secretary Summit Mullick.

What happened at Koregaon-Bhima in 2018

According to the Pune police, the violence broke out on January 1, 2018, in the war memorial near the caste groups in the Pune district of the Bicentennial anniversary of the 1818 battle of Koregaon-Bhima.

One person died and several others, including 10 police personnel, were killed in the incident.

The “Elgar Parishad Conclave” at the “provocative” speeches of the Pune police, allegedly held on December 31, 2017, in Pune, triggered the violence near Koregaon-Bhima.

The police claimed the Elgar Parishad conclave organizers had links with Maoists.