Maharashtra Home Minister Slams Centre For NIA Taking Over Koregaon-Bhima Case

Mumbai: Maharashtra Home minister Anil Deshmukh on Friday slammed the Union government claiming that it had assigned the investigation into the 2018 Koregaon-Bhima violence case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) without taking the state government's consent.

The NIA takeover comes within days of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar urging the Maharashtra government in a letter, to constitute a special investigation team to probe the case. The NCP chief also called for an investigation into the actions of police officials over the probe in the case.

responding to Sharad Pawar's letter, home Minister Anil Deshmukh and Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar held a meeting with top police officials involved in the investigation of the case. The Director-general of Maharashtra police was also present at the meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Sharad Pawar's letter sought a probe by a retired judge into the matter and stated that the arrest of activists in Elgaar Parishad case was improper and smacked of vengeance.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has so far not acted on Sharad Pawar's letter or gone public with his reaction.

The Pune police had submitted draft charges against 19 accused in the Bhima Koregaon case at a special Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) court in Pune. The NIA takeover of the case effectively takes the case out of the ambit of the state government, according to legal experts.

Meanwhile, media reports also stated that NCP chief Sharad Pawar's security in Delhi had been downgraded.