HINDUTVA LEADER MILIND EKBOTE’S BAIL PLEA REJECTED

PUNE: The interim anticipatory bail application of Samasta Hindu Aghadi president Milind Ekbote, accused of instigating unrest between Dalits and Marathas in Bhima-koregaon early this month, was rejected by a Pune court on Monday.

Rejecting the bail application, additional sessions judge Pralhad Bhagure said there was a possibility that the accused might flee if granted anticipatory bail.

On January 2, the Pimpri police had registered a zero First Information Report (FIR) against Ekbote and Shiv Prathistan Hindustan president Sambhaji Bhide after a complaint was filed by Anita Savale (39), a member of the Bahujan Republican Socialist Party.

Ekbote, along with Bhide, was booked for January 1 violence at Bhima-koregaon that left one person dead and angered Dalits, who then called a Maharashtra bandh. A former corporator from Pune, Ekbote and his followers have been in the news for cow vigilantism in Pune and neighbouring districts.

Suvez Haque, superintendent of police, Pune (rural) said, “As of today (Monday), we have not arrested Ekbote but will take necessary action ...”

HINDUTVA GROUPS NOT RESPONSIBLE, SAYS IG

Special inspector general of police (Kolhapur range), Vishwas Nangre-patil, has rejected a report by a 10-member fact-finding and co-ordination committee that the violence was instigated by a small section of radical Hindutva groups.

On Saturday, deputy mayor of Pune, Siddharth Dhende, who led the committee, claimed that the riots, that claimed a life, were preplanned.

“A minuscule section of radical Hindutva elements had conspired and targeted the Dalits... There was a significant amount of pre-event information available with the police ...” he said.

Nangre-patil said the report was entirely wrong and misleading. “The government will issue a clarification in this regard soon,” he said.