Koregaon Bhima case transfer to NIA: Patil hits out at Centre

Senior Maharashtra minister and the NCP's state unit chief Jayant Patil on Saturday attacked the Centre for transferring the probe into the Koregaon Bhima violence case to the National Investigation Agency. He said the Centre had "different motives" while bringing in the NIA to probe the matter, though he did not elaborate on what these motives were. The Centre transferred the probe to NIA on Friday. The case pertains to caste violence that took place at the Koregaon Bhima war memorial near Pune on January 1, 2018 after provocative speeches were allegedly made at a conclave called 'Elgar Parishad' a day earlier.

Speaking on the issue here, Patil said NCP chief Sharad Pawar had demanded the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the case as it did not find the one conducted by Pune police under the previous BJP-led government to be "satisfactory".

"But the Union government, having different motives, transferred the case to NIA," Patil alleged.

The Pune police claimed the Elgar Parishad and its organisers had Naxal links, and had gone on to arrest nine activists. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has been constituted under the NIA Act, 2008 to investigate and prosecute offences affecting the sovereignty, security and integrity of India. It is also mandated to probe cases related to the security of the country, or that which affect friendly relations with foreign states, as well as offences under Acts enacted to implement international treaties, agreements, conventions and resolutions.