03-08-2025
Bhima Koregaon commission gets 18th extension
The Maharashtra government has granted an 18th extension to the Bhima Koregaon Commission of Inquiry, which was constituted to investigate the violence that broke out in Pune on January 1, 2018. The unrest occurred near Jai Stambh, a war memorial erected by the British in 1821 to commemorate their victory over the Peshwas. (HT FILE)
The latest extension was granted via an order dated July 30 by Chetan Nikam, deputy secretary in the home department, who allowed the panel time until October 31, 2025 to complete its work.
The order notes that the previous extension was valid till July 31, 2025, but with more witnesses yet to depose, the commission had requested three additional months. The state government, after deliberation, approved the request and directed the commission to complete all pending depositions and submit its final report by the new deadline.
VV Palnitkar, commission secretary, said, 'The commission has been directed to submit the final report by October 31.'
So far, the panel has recorded statements from at least 53 witnesses, including political figures such as Sharad Pawar and Prakash Ambedkar, as well as residents of Bhima Koregaon and Vadhu Budruk.
The violence on January 1, 2018, had left one person dead and several injured, prompting the state to form the inquiry commission on February 9, 2018, under retired Justice JN Patel and former chief secretary Sumit Mullick.
The unrest occurred near Jai Stambh, a war memorial erected by the British in 1821 to commemorate their victory over the Peshwas. As per Dalit accounts, a British force comprising 500 Mahar soldiers had defeated the Peshwa army of 25,000, a symbolic event seen by Dalits as a historic stand against caste oppression.
