The Maharashtra Government is finally taking steps to look into the Bhima-Koregaon violence that brought Mumbai to a standstill in January. It formed a judicial commission on Friday to investigate the violence in which a youth was killed.
A two-member commission headed by Justice (retd) JN Patel, former chief justice of the Calcutta high court and state chief secretary Sumit Mullick is appointed to probe into the matter. The duo has been given four months to complete the probe into the violence that erupted when Dalit groups were attacked on January 1 while attending a function at Bhima Koregaon, 40 km from Pune, to commemorate an 1818 battle between Peshwa army and Mahar regiment-backed British army.
Following this macabre was a series of protest rallies carried out by the Dalit outfits, culminating into a Maharashtra Bandh.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had met the chief justice seeking a sitting judge for the judicial probe that was announced on January 2 to be implemented by a sitting high court judge and a CID inquiry into the killing. However, the Bombay High Court rejected the state government’s request to provide a sitting high court judge for the probe. Chief justice Vijaya Tahilramani cited Supreme Court’s guiding directives that prevented them from providing one.
The state government selected justice (retd) JN Patel for the task out of the three retired judges who were recommended by the Chief Justice.
The commission has been asked to study in detail how the violence took place, its reasons and if any individual or group caused it. It will also have to probe whether the preparations made by the district administration and police were adequate, whether the actions taken by the police to deal with the situation were correct, fix responsibilities, make plans to prevent similar situations in the future and suggest other important recommendations, if any, in terms of the reference.
The commission will also have the right to summon anyone for the deposition, seek documents and conduct hearings.
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