Koregaon Bhima inquiry commission gets 14th extension, told to submit final report by August 31

The government had on February 9, 2018 constituted a two-member commission, headed by retired High Court judge Justice J N Patel for probing the cause of the violence reported in Pune’s Koregaon Bhima area on January 1, 2018, in which one person had died and several others were left injured.

Former chief secretary Sumit Mallick was appointed the second member of the commission.

Initially, the commission was given four months to submit its report, but its tenure had to be repeatedly extended to allow it to complete its work.

The commission could not function during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The last extension expired on February 28, 2024. The state government has now asked the commission to complete its work and submit the final report by August 31, 2014.

Commission conducted hearings in Pune and Mumbai for examining witnesses including police and government officers, residents of Koregaon Bhima, Vadhu Budruk and adjoining villages, politicians and activists.

The Commission has recorded evidence of over 50 witnesses. It has now asked the lawyers representing different witnesses to submit their final arguments in writing.

V V Palnitkar, the Commission’s secretary, said, “The Commission will prepare its reports after receiving the final arguments in writing from the lawyers.”