Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide dropped from Koregaon Bhima violence case: Police to SHRC

Ekbote was arrested by Pune Rural Police in this case after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the Supreme Court. He was later granted bail by the court and also charge-sheeted by the police. However, police never arrested Bhide, citing lack of evidence.

Meanwhile, a Mumbai-based lawyer, Aditya Mishra, filed a complaint before the MSHRC over a year ago, referring to a newspaper report dated March 28, 2018, which mentioned the then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ statement about police having no evidence against Bhide.

Mishra stated in the complaint, “Can anyone frame any XYZ as an accused casually without any evidence on the basis of hearsay ?” He further pleaded that a status report be sought from police in the case against Bhide. Mishra also sought from the commission “necessary directions as per law in the interest of justice” saying, “how long will a sword of FIR hang over the head of Bhide guruji”.

MSHRC had then summoned Pune Rural Police officials and sought a status report in the case against Bhide. During a hearing on Wednesday, a report dated May 3, 2022 — signed by Superintendent of Pune Rural Police Abhinav Deshmukh — was submitted to the SHRC on Wednesday.

According to the report, no evidence was found against Bhide in the case lodged against him by Anita Sawale. So, Bhide has been dropped from this offence while a chargesheet was filed against the remaining 41 accused booked under sections 307, 143, 147, 148, 149, 295 (a), 435, 439, 153 (a), 120 (b) of the Indian Penal Code, sections of the Arms Act and the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

“Hence, there was no violation of Bhide’s human rights by the investigation machinery,” stated the police report.

According to this report, as many as 22 offences were registered at the Shikrapur police station of Pune Rural Police in connection with the Koregaon Bhima violence. A chargesheet was filed in 12 offences, while ‘A-summary’ (no evidence found against the accused yet) was submitted for approval in 10 offences before the court.

“Police submitted their report, saying Bhide has been dropped from the case. The MSHRC has asked police to submit the statement given by the complainant before the magistrate court… The matter has now been kept for final argument on July 4, 2022,” said advocate Mishra.

In December 2019, Sawale had deposed as a witness before the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry, set up by the state government to ascertain the sequence of events that led to the violence. During her cross-examination, when a lawyer said Bhide and Ekbote were not present in Koregaon Bhima on January 1, 2018, and “people were spreading rumours” about their presence, Sawale had replied “May be true, I do not know”.

Bhide recently met with an accident in Sangli and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.