Maha can probe Elgar and Koregaon cases: Minister

MUMBAI: Maharashtra home minister, Anil Deshmukh, said in the legislative council on Thursday that the state had the right to conduct a fresh probe into both Bhima Koregaon and Elgar Parishad cases, if doubts persist over “erroneous investigations”. He clarified that the state government is examining provisions in the Maharashtra Police Act to set up a parallel probe and also to order a commission of inquiry in the Elgar Parishad case.

Earlier, Loktantrik Janata Dal’s Kapil Patil, a member of Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC), complained that several intellectuals, thinkers and poets have been facing trumped up charges and also urged the government to withdraw cases against activists such as Anand Teltumbde. “Will the state initiate a parallel inquiry into the Elgar Parishad probe to reveal the truth and provide security to those people who were framed as ‘urban naxals’?” asked Patil.

Deshmukh took note of Patil’s grouse and admitted that he also received several complaints that the “previous Bjpled government targeted people who spoke against them” and promised “to look into the allegations against ‘urban naxals’”. The Elgar Parishad probe was unilaterally taken over by National Investigation Agency (NIA) last month , a move that was criticised by the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government of the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress. Later, the Sena softened its opposition to the transfer of the case, but NCP chief Sharad Pawar demanded a parallel probe by the state police.

STATE MINISTER SAYS THE STATE HAS THE RIGHT TO CONDUCT A FRESH PROBE, IF DOUBTS PERSIST OVER ‘ERRONEOUS’ PROBES