Koregaon Bhima inquiry commission gets yet another extension, till March 31

The two-member commission, headed by retired high court judge J N Patel with former chief secretary Sumit Malik as the other member, was constituted by the state government on February 9, 2018, to inquire into the “exact sequence” of events that led to violence on the 200th anniversary of Battle of Koregaon Bhima on January 1 that year. One person had died and several others were injured in the violence.

The commission was initially given four months to submit its report, but its tenure had to be repeatedly extended to allow it to complete its work. Subsequently, it received extensions from time to time. The commission could not function during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The latest extension till March 31 was granted following the commission’s request as it intended to examine more witnesses, including police and revenue officers and a few prominent political leaders.

The commission has declared its schedule for conducting the hearings in Mumbai between January 21 and January 25. Senior police officers, including IPS officers Vishwas Nangare Patil, Suvez Haque, and Shivaji Pawar who investigated the Elgaar Parishad case, retired police officer Ravindra Sengaonkar and an activist Harshali Potdar who is among the organisers of the Elgaar Parishad have been summoned for appearing before the commission in Mumbai.

“The commission has so far examined 48 witnesses. Of these seven are part heard,” said commission’s secretary V V Palnitkar.

Those who have deposed before the commission include the residents of Koregaon Bhima and Vadhu Budruk villages, police and government officers, senior politician Sharad Pawar, private researcher Chandrakant Patil and others.