The Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry has taken a decisive step. It has directed the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra to submit crucial information. This information concerns a specific letter that VBA president and Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar has been seeking.
The Core of the Matter
Prakash Ambedkar filed an application before the Commission in February last year. He made a significant claim. Ambedkar stated that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar gave a letter to then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on January 24, 2020. This letter allegedly claimed the Koregaon Bhima violence of January 1, 2018, was a conspiracy. The conspiracy, according to the claim, was hatched by the previous government led by Devendra Fadnavis.
Thackeray's Response and the Commission's Action
Uddhav Thackeray responded to this claim on January 8 this year. He submitted an affidavit through his lawyer, Asim Sarode. Thackeray stated a clear position. If Sharad Pawar had indeed given him such a letter, it should be in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). Thackeray pointed out he is no longer the Chief Minister. Therefore, he suggested it would be appropriate to seek the letter from the current Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, and the CMO.
Following this, Ambedkar's lawyer, Kiran Kadam, filed a fresh application. The request was for the commission to issue a notice to the CMO to produce the said letter. The panel allowed this request.
The commission's secretary, V V Palnitkar, provided details. "As per the orders of the Commission, a letter in lieu of summons has been sent to the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra on January 14," Palnitkar said. "The Chief Secretary has been asked to submit information regarding the letter in question, through an authorised representative, by February 25."
The Elusive Letter and Past Attempts
Ambedkar's initial application included a news report. This report stated Pawar's letter to Thackeray demanded a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the Koregaon-Bhima violence. It also accused the Fadnavis government of protecting the conspirators.
Ambedkar first asked the Commission to order Sharad Pawar to submit a copy of the letter. However, in August last year, Pawar informed the Commission through his lawyer. He stated he did not possess a copy of this letter.
The Commission then permitted Ambedkar to seek the copy from Uddhav Thackeray. Yet, Thackeray also did not produce the copy of the alleged letter.
In his affidavit, Thackeray elaborated on his office's procedures. He stated that during his tenure as CM from November 2019 to June 2022, a transparent administrative procedure was followed. All official documents and letters addressed to him as chief minister were maintained in records at the CMO. "So if Sharad Pawar had given me any letter regarding the Koregaon Bhima violence, it should be there in the CMO," Thackeray affirmed.
About the Commission and Future Hearings
The two-member Commission is led by retired High Court judge Justice J N Patel. The state government formed it to probe the cause of violence in the Koregaon Bhima area of Pune on January 1, 2018. The violence resulted in one death and left several others injured. Former chief secretary Sumit Mallick serves as the second member of the Commission.
The Commission's lawyer, Aashish Satpute, announced the schedule for future proceedings. "Next hearings of the Commission would be held in Pune between February 25 and February 27, 2026," Satpute said. The directive to the Chief Secretary sets the stage for these upcoming hearings.
