CM Fadnavis gives clean chit to Sambhaji Bhide

MUMBAI: A day after Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh led a protest to arrest Manohar alias Sambhaji Bhide in connection with his alleged role in the January 1 violence at Pune’s Bhima-Koregaon, Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday gave a clean chit to the accused. The CM said that Bhide and his close aides neither went to the area where violence took place in the last six months nor were in conversation with anyone from there over the phone.

Also, in controversial death of Judge Loya case, the CM ruled out any foul play and said that the Supreme Court would give its order soon. In the reply in the Assembly over the law and order situation in the state, the CM said that the police took all the measures to curb the violence during Bhima-Koregaon commemoration programme on Janaury 1.

“A woman lodged a complain saying that she saw Bhide and Milind Ekbote instigating riots at Bhima- Koregaon. However, the evidence did not show anything against Bhide. In a statement later, the woman said that she had never seen Bhide and Ekbote but the people mentioned the two names. But in last six months, neither Bhide and his close aides went to that area nor talked to any one in the area. But the inquiry is still on,” the chief minister informed the House.  

Mr Fadnavis also denied charges that Ekbote was arrested after the Supreme Court’s order. “It was not true that Ekbote was arrested after the Supreme Courts’s order. He was absconding. But we ensured that he did not get bail in the lower courts. The government took stand of custodial interrogation in the Supreme Court. We appointed the attorney general for this case,” the chief minister added.

On evidence given by BBM leader Prakash Ambedkar on Monday in connection with the violence, the CM said that the government would check it within eight days.

‘No foul play in loya case’

Speaking on the death of Judge Loya, the CM termed the media report as completely false. He narrated the entire incident and said that even the family members did not have any doubt over the death. “The story was politically motivated and the SC order will soon come,” he said. He added, “Loya’s name was not mentioned in the register of Ravi Bhavan because it was booked by the court retainer whose sign is there. Loya was accompanied by Justice Modak and Justice Kulkarni when he was taken to Dande Hospital. The hospital told them that he needed treatment in multi-specialty hospital. He was declared dead with proper evidence. Mr Modak and Mr Rathi told the family about his passing. Two judges along with a traffic constable took the body to his village,” he added.