ACP’s refrain: "I do not know"

“I do not know whether Bal Thackeray is known as the remote control of the Maharashtra government,” replied Chougule, while answering a question asked by advocate B G Bansode. To another question, the ACP said, “I do not know whether journalist Arun Shourie is against Dr Ambedkar’s thoughts. I also do not know whether he has written a book Worshipping False Gods.”

While answering advocate Gaikwad’s questions, Chougule said “I do not know” to the following queries: whether the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance government after coming to power in the state dropped 1,100 cases filed by Dalits under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act; the provisions of this Act; whether the desecration of the statue has social, cultural and political angles; if the upper castes are against Dr Ambedkar for the work he did for the Dalits; whether the present state government is against reservations being provided to Dalits; whether Thackeray had opposed renaming the Marathwada University after Dr Ambedkar; if Dr Ambedkar’s followers are not members of either the Sena or the Bharatiya Janata Party; if Thackeray had supported the police firing at Ramabai Nagar. These facts that Chougule denied having any knowledge about have received ample publicity in the media, and some of them have created controversies those lasted for several months. But all a visibly embarrassed Chougule had to say was `I do not know’.

In the beginning, he tried to protest, saying these questions were not part of his investigation, but had to answer them later after advocates proved them to be relevant.

Meanwhile, the police submitted the pair of chappals used to garland the statue. Justice Gundewar directed the then city police commissioner Subhash Malhotra to depose before the commission on November 17, 1997, and joint police commissioner (crime) Ranjit Singh Sharma on the following day.