In a significant development before the Koregaon Bhima inquiry commission in Pune, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has filed an affidavit addressing demands to produce a letter allegedly written to him by NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar. Thackeray's submission states that any such correspondence, if it exists, must be with the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) and not in his personal possession.
The Commission's Query and Thackeray's Response
The commission's action followed an application filed by Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar on August 26, 2025. Ambedkar sought the panel's direction to Thackeray to produce a letter purportedly written by Sharad Pawar in January 2020. According to an e-paper report cited in the application, Pawar's letter allegedly described the January 1, 2018, Koregaon Bhima riot as a "state-conspiracy" under the then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The letter reportedly accused the Fadnavis government of a total misuse of power in connivance with police and demanded a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the violence.
On Thursday, Thackeray's lawyer, Asim Sarode, presented the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief's affidavit before the two-member commission headed by former high court chief justice J.N. Patel. In his sworn statement, Thackeray clarified that during his tenure as CM, he had streamlined all government work through the state secretariat (Mantralaya). All correspondence addressed to the Chief Minister was officially handed over to the CMO. Therefore, any official letter written by Pawar to him in his capacity as CM would be part of the CMO's records.
Call for Justice and Next Steps
Beyond the procedural response, Uddhav Thackeray used the affidavit to express his views on the 2018 violence. He stated that considering the background of the riot, he feels it was "a matter of hatred against humanity." His affidavit emphasized, "The names of some people have constantly kept figuring as suspects behind the riot and I feel justice needs to be done to the Dalit brothers who faced injustice and atrocity."
Reacting to the affidavit, Prakash Ambedkar's lawyer, Kiran Kadam, told TOI that their next move is clear. "We are now planning to file an application tomorrow (January 9) with the commission seeking summons to the CMO to produce the letter, if any, as mentioned in our earlier application," Kadam stated. This sets the stage for the commission to potentially direct the current administrative apparatus to search for and present the document.
Background of the Koregaon Bhima Inquiry
The Maharashtra government established the inquiry commission in February 2018 to investigate the causes of the violence that erupted during the bicentennial anniversary of the 1818 Battle of Koregaon Bhima. According to police reports, clashes between caste groups near the war memorial in Pune district resulted in one death and injuries to several people, including 10 police personnel. The commission, which includes a former state chief secretary alongside Justice Patel, has received multiple extensions from the government to complete its extensive inquiry process.
This latest affidavit and the impending application for CMO summons mark a new phase in the long-running probe, keeping the focus on alleged political and administrative roles in the sensitive case that has major Dalit community resonance in Maharashtra.
