PUNE: A three-member team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) met Pune city police officials on Monday seeking documents related to Elgaar Parishad case, after the Central government transferred the case. However, the police are yet to share any case papers with the NIA.
The State government was planning to form a special investigation team (SIT) to analyse the Pune police investigation,when the case was transferred last week. Accordingly, NIA intimated Maharashtra Police DGP office. The NIA officials on Monday also handed over a letter to Pune police.
In December last year, Pune city police had submitted ‘draft charges’ against 19 out of the 23 accused persons named in the case.
The court of Special Judge SR Navandar, designated for cases under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), is currently hearing the case.
Elgaar Parishad was held at Shaniwarwada on December 31, 2017 ahead of the 200th commemoration of battle of Koregaon Bhima. The next day, i.e. on January 1 when lakhs of people had gathered at Koregaon Bhima, there was large scale violence in which a youth was killed while properties worth crores were damaged.
Based on a complaint from Tushar Damgude, Vishrambaug police station had registered case against organisers of the Elgaar Parishad who included Harshali Potdar, Sudhir Dhawale of Republican Panthers (RP), Mumbai and Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap, Deepak Dhengle of Pune-based Kabir Kala Manch (KKM) which is accused of being the frontal organisation of banned CPI (Maoist).
The police said that the organisers had links with the Maoists.
