Pune violence: No relief to 3 accused

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has refused to grant any interim relief to three accused in the violence that erupted during a bicentenary celebration of the Battle of Bhima-Koregaon on January 1 in Pune. The accused —Akshya Alhat, Chetan Alhat and Tushar Jounjal — had approached the high court after the Pune sessions court refused to grant them bail.

A single bench of Justice Bharti Dangre observed that it was a regular bail plea and it should be heard by a regular bench of the HC and should not be heard during the vacation and kept the hearing on June 5.

According to the application, the trio was arrested only because of a T-shirt of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar that they had worn. Local resident Rahul Phatangale was allegedly accosted by a mob and beaten to death and the trio were found near the place where body was found. Police had arrested them after perusing CCTV footage.

The applicant stated that there was no evidence whatsoever against the three and none of the witnesses’ statements mention their names or role. The pleas claim that there is nothing on record to implicate them and they have been arrested only on the basis of suspicion and because of the community they belong to. Tushar who is 19 years of age had missed his class tenth exam due to his custody.

The Pune police on March 14 had arrested prime accused Milind Ekbote from his Pune house while he was granted bail by a Pune session’s court on a bond of Rs 25,000.