The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) confirmed on Saturday that it has transferred the probe into the 2018 Bhima-Koregaon incident to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Friday night condemned the Centre’s decision to hand over the investigation of the Bhima-Koregaon violence to the NIA. “I strongly condemn the Centre’s decision to transfer the case to the NIA without taking permission from the State government. This action is unconstitutional,” said Mr. Deshmukh on Twitter.
The Minister had claimed that the Centre’s decision comes a day after the State government decided to go deep into the case by forming a Special Investigation Team.
An MHA spokesperson confirmed that the case had been transferred to the NIA, without providing any further details.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar had earlier written to Mr. Deshmukh raising questions over the earlier probe where Dalit and Ambedkarite activists were labelled ‘urban Naxals’ and jailed. The arrests were made when the BJP-Shiv Sena government was in power.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, comprising the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress, formed the government in Maharashtra last year after a split in the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance.
