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Row over Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation: Author Vishwas Patil files complaint against special public prosecutor before Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry

The two-member commission is probing into the causes of violence in Koregaon Bhima area in Pune on January 1, 2018, in which one person had died and several others were injured.

5 min readMay 8, 2026 10:26 PM IST

Patil also said that Hiray’s comments on a news channel that his novel is dividing the society is wrong and “poisonous”.

Author and retired IAS officer Vishwas Patil on Friday filed a complaint before the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry against special public prosecutor (SPP) Shishir Hiray for allegedly giving misleading statements to the media about his novel “Sambhaji”.

The novel, published about 20 years ago, is based on the life of legendary king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

Patil had deposed as a witness before the commission, following an application filed by advocate Mangesh Deshmukh of the Vadhu Budruk gram panchayat in Pune district.

Advocate Deshmukh said that Patil’s novel ‘Sambhaji’ had without any contemporary historical evidence mentioned that a person named Govind Mahar was involved in performing Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s last rites.

Patil was cross-examined by SPP Hiray mostly over some of the “imaginary” characters linked to the cremation of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in the novel. His cross-examination by SPP Hiray concluded in March this year. Later, Hiray had spoken to several mediapersons regarding Patil’s cross-examination and his novel.

In his Facebook (FB) post about the complaint, Patil has claimed that SPP Hiray has given false information to the media about the novel and his testimony before the commission. Patil has also taken objection to circulation of his photographs of cross-examination before the commission to the media.

When contacted, commission’s secretary V V Palnitkar confirmed that Patil submitted a complaint against Hiray. Palnitkar said the complaint is yet to be presented before commission’s chairman J N Patil, a retired high court justice, and its member Sumit Mullick, a former bureaucrat.

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The two-member commission is probing into the causes of violence in Koregaon Bhima area in Pune on January 1, 2018, in which one person had died and several others were injured.

Hiray said he has not yet received the copy of the complaint. “I have only stated the facts. Photographs of cross-examination of senior politician Sharad Pawar had also appeared in the media. There was nothing wrong in it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Patil stated on his Facebook account that he has submitted to the commission, the transcripts of Hiray’s interviews in Marathi to four TV news channels. “My deposition is with the commission. I have submitted the transcripts as evidence so that the commission could verify the false information given by Hiray in the interviews,” Patil stated.

Patil refuted Hiray’s statement to a news channel on March 9 that on page number 828 in the novel, it is generally mentioned that “cremation of Sambhaji Maharaj was performed by people from a particular community, and the other locals did not provide any help. In fact, the locals fled from there…”

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Patil also said that Hiray’s comments on a news channel that his novel is dividing the society is wrong and “poisonous”.

Patil mentioned that he referred to the character “Govind Mahar” from the “Sanad” dated January 30, 1733, but never wrote that “Govind or his community performed last rites of Sambhaji Majaraj.”

When contacted, Deshmukh said as per this Sanad (historical official document pertaining to the issuing of grants), three persons including one Govind Gopal Dhegoji Megoji were appointed for carrying out certain duties at the samadhi of Sambhaji Maharaj in Vadhu Budruk village.

“It (Sanad) does not mention anywhere that Govind Mahar took part in cremation of Sambhaji Maharaj. But Patil has in his novel given an imaginary description of how the cremation was performed in Govind’s land,” said Deshmukh.

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During cross examination by Hiray on March 6, Patil had told the commission that he did not come across any contemporary historical source to establish who performed the last rites of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Patil even said that in his novel, the characters linked to the last rites of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj are “imaginary”.

“They are representing all castes and communities… my focus was that all castes and communities gathered for performing the cremation of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj at village Vadhu Budruk,” he said.

When asked about his novel being used to create hatred among different sections to establish the belief that one Govind Gopal Mahar performed the last rites, Patil had said, “People should not use poetry and fiction for their political and sectarian gains”.

Earlier, during his cross examination by Deshmukh, Patil had said he is mainly a “social and historical fiction writer” and he included certain “imaginary minor characters” in the novel “Sambhaji” to portray certain incidents.

The dispute

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Vadhu Budruk is a historic village (located about 4 kms from Koregaon Bhima), known for the samadhi of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. The village also has a disputed tomb-like structure, which, according to the Dalit Mahar community, is the samadhi of Govind Gopal Dhegoji Meghoji, a 17th century figure.

The village also has a memorial of ‘Bapuji and Padmavati Shivale’. Citing this memorial, Marathas from Vadhu Budruk believe it was their ancestors, the Shivale Deshmukhs, who had defied the orders of Aurangzeb and performed the last rites of Sambhaji Maharaj after he was killed by the Mughal emperor in 1689.

The Dalit Mahar community, however, claims that Govind Gopal performed the last rites of the king. A board with the ‘disputed history’ of Govind Gopal erected in Vadhu Budruk on the intervening night of December 28 and 29, 2017, had led to an altercation, which was seen as one of the triggers for Koregaon Bhima violence of January 1, 2018.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs. Professional Profile Specialization: He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation. Key Beats: His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Background: Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape. Awards and Recognition: He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve. He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry. 1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases “Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025). Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links. “The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025) Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas. “How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025) After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital. “A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025). Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train. “No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025) Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence. 2. Inter-state firearms racket "Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025) "Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025) Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh 3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams “Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025) An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country ‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025) Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds Signature Style: The Investigative Hit Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers. X (Twitter): @chandan_pune ... Read More

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