Maharashtra govt extends tenure, releases dues of commission probing Bhima Koregaon violence
Mumbai/IBNS: The tenure of the commission probing the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence has been extended for two months and the necessary funds released, media reports said.
The two-member commission comprising former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court JN Patel and former chief secretary Sumeet Mullick Friday threatened to wind up prematurely following the government's failure to release funds for its working.
Maharashtra Home minister Anil Deshmukh, who had convened an urgent meeting of the finance and home departments on Saturday, said the dues of the commission were released and additional chief secretary Shrikant Singh was directed to inquire into the cause of the delay in the release of funds. He said the officers found guilty of dereliction of duty in this connection will be penalised.
On Friday, the commission wrote to the Maharashtra government complaining that the state home department was "supposed to submit a supplementary demand of ₹65 lakh after the commission was given an extension in November 2019", an HT report said. In its letter, the commission also complained of ill-treatment of its officers by the state home department officials when the former demanded disbursal of its dues, the report added.
The Bhima Koregaon violence took place on Jan 1, 2018, during the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the defeat of Peshwas by the British with the help of Dalit soldiers.
On February 9, 2018, the then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state and ordered a probe into the riots.
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