Koregaon-Bhima inquiry panel summons Pawar

National Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has been summoned by the Koregaon Bhima inquiry commission to appear before it on April 4.

Mr Pawar will have to appear before the commission in Mumbai, as the scheduled hearing by the commission was shifted there in view of the coronavirus outbreak. The commission’s tenure ends on April 9, however, it is likely to get the fifth extension, sources said.

A two-member inquiry commission is conducting the probe into the 2018 Koregaon-Bhima violence. In February, social group Vivek Vichar Manch member Sagar Shinde had filed an application before the commission, seeking summoning of Mr Pawar in view of certain statements made by him in the media about the 2018 caste violence. Taking note the application, the commission had first sought time from Mr Pawar for his appearance and later sent him the summons.

In his plea, Mr Shinde cited a press conference of Sharad Pawar held on February 18. As per the application, at the press meet Mr Pawar alleged that right-wing activists Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide had created a “different” atmosphere in KoregaonBhima.

NCP chief spokesperson and Cabinet minister for minority affairs Nawab

Sharad Pawar

Malik said that the commission had asked Mr Pawar for a convenient date for appearing before it. Mr Pawar had informed the commission that owing to the ongoing Parliament session, he would appear on April 4 in afternoon at 3 pm.

He also said that Mr Pawar had already submitted his statement in the form of an affidavit before the commission in October 2018.

The state government had given an extension of two months to the commission saying that the probe should be completed and the report should be submitted by April 8, a senior official had said.

Chief Justice of Calcutta high court, Jay Narayan Patel is heading the commission, which also includes former chief secretary and the present chief information officer of Maharashtra, Sumit Mullick as secretary. V.V. Palnitkar is serving as the registrar of the commission. The commission functions with the powers of a civil court in two locations: the Public Information Office at Madam Cama Road, Mumbai and the Zilla Parishad building in Bundgarden, Pune.