Mumbai: A day after the Maharashtra government reviewed the status of a probe by Pune police into the Bhima Koregaon violence in 2018, the National Investigation Agency took over the investigation.
The Centre’s suo motu decision to transfer the case to NIA comes on the heels of the NCP chief Sharad Pawar pressing the state government to conduct a fresh probe by forming a special investigation team. Pawar wanted a retired judge to look into the Bhima Koregaon violence and the Elgar Parishad case. He had also said that police officers involved in framing the human rights activists in the case should be suspended.
The seizing of the investigation by the NIA is expected to lead to a fresh flashpoint between the Centre and the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Incidentally, the NIA reports to the Centre which does not need the state’s approval for transferring the case.
The Centre’s decision evoked an angry reaction from the Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh who told FPJ, ‘‘The Centre has taken the decision to hand over the Bimha Koregaon case to NIA without the state government’s nod. It is against the Constitution of India. I strongly condemn it.’’
Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad, who during the day had alleged a conspiracy behind the Bhima Koregaon case, questioned the Centre’s decision terming it highly suspicious.
‘‘What will the NIA probe, it should have been conducted by the SIT. This is an insult to democracy. Why did the Centre wake up after two years,’’ he asked.
