Maha will conduct parallel SIT probe on Elgar Parishad
MUMBAI: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, said the Maharashtra government will form a special investigation team (SIT) to “parallelly” probe the Elgar Parishad case, even as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is handling the case after the state government gave its nod to hand over the investigation to the agency.
In January, the Centre had transferred the probe to the NIA
The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has been spoiling for a fight with the Centre, on Monday said that the Maharashtra government would form a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the Elgar Parishad case. In January, the Centre had transferred the probe to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), triggering a row with the state government.
The Elgar Parishad probe has become a bone of contention between the Centre and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Maharashtra government’s coalition partners -the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena.
Last week, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray gave his nod to handover the investigation, a move criticised by the NCP, the second-largest constituent of the MVA government . The NCP’S Anil Deshmukh holds the home ministry portfolio.
Nawab Malik, Maharashtra’s minority affairs minister and NCP spokesperson, said the probe would be conducted under the provisions of Section 10 of the NIA Act . “There is nothing wrong in the CM’S decision to hand over the case because going by the NIA Act it is binding on the state. But Section 10 of the Act also empowers the state to hold a parallel investigation,” Malik said.
“Pawar saheb has asked the home minister to act following the provisions. The home minister will now appoint an SIT to probe the case,” he added.
Home minister Anil Deshmukh said he would seek legal opinion on the setting up of an SIT.
Although it has denied bail to the accused in the Elgar Parishad case, the Supreme Court (SC) had observed that the case needs to be thoroughly investigated, Malik said.
“From the beginning, Pawar saheb was of the view that activists were wrongly implicated in the case. He has also written letters to the CM and the home minister, demanding an SIT probe,” Malik said.
Last week, Pawar said that while the Centre’s decision directing NIA to take over the case was inappropriate, the state government’s approval was even more so.
It was not for the first time that Pawar had criticised any decision taken by Thackeray since the MVA government was formed on November 28, 2019.
Advocate-general Ashutosh Kumbhkoni said that he needs to study all the relevant sections in detail before giving his reaction on this . “I have yet to go through the NIA Act and the section you are referring to. I will be able to offer my comments only after studying it.”
Senior advocate and former advocate general of the state, Sheehari Aney, said it would be difficult for him to give his opinion off-hand.
“Before making any statement, I would like to go through the section and other details of the Act,” Aney said.
The Congress has supported the decision. Party spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “We are sure that the probe conducted by the Pune Police was prejudiced at the behest of the erstwhile BJP government. We believe BJP’S involvement in the violence and this is the reason the NIA was brought in. Section 10 allows the state to carry out a parallel probe. We support the decision so that justice can be given to the innocent and the real culprits shall be booked,” said Sawant.
Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said that the motive of all the three parties is to book the culprits. “The target of the investigation agencies, be it NIA, SIT or Maharashtra police, will be working to book the culprits and punish them. The agencies should work in tandem. There may be difference of opinion, but there is definitely no rift in the government, a picture which the BJP is trying to paint, and the issue will be resolved soon.”