Bhima-Koregaon violence: Activist Rona Jacob Wilson, four others arrested

The Pune Police has also arrested three others for spreading controversial pamphlets and delivering hate speech.

MUMBAI: The Pune Police with the help of the Delhi Police Special Cell, arrested human rights activist Rona Jacob Wilson on Wednesday in connection with Bhima Koregaon violence in which one person was killed in January this year. Rona was produced before the Patiala House Court in Delhi which sent him to 2-day transit remand. He will be produced before a local court in Pune on 8 June.

Delhi: Rana Jacob, arrested by #Pune Police, with the help of #Delhi Police Special Cell, produced before Patiala House Court. He has been arrested in connection with #BhimaKoregaon violence. pic.twitter.com/ZGnMeQM1O4 — ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2018

Violence took place during an event to commemorate the bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in January this year. Subsequent protests had disrupted normal life in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra. Properties worth Rs 300 crore were reportedly damaged and over 90 buses were gutted by protesters in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The Pune Police arrested four others too, including prominent Dalit activist Sudhir Dhawale reportedly from his house in Mumbai. Others included lawyer Surendra Gadling, activist Mahesh Raut and Shoma Sen who were picked up from Nagpur. Dhawale was one of the organisers of Elgar Parishad, organised to commemorate 200 years of the Koregaon Bhima battle on December 31 at Shaniwarwada. 

There Kabir Kala Manch activists had allegedly made provocative speeches leading to violence at Koregaon Bhima in the district, according to an FIR registered at Vishrambaug police station after the event. 

Dhawale is a Dalit activist and editor of Marathi magazine Vidrohi while Surendra Gadling, a Nagpur based lawyer, also known as a Dalit and tribal activist, provides legal aids to those who arrested for Maoist links, police said. Shoma Sen is a professor at Nagpur University and her husband Tushar Kranti Bhattacharya was arrested from Nagpur station for his alleged Naxal links in 2010. Mahesh Raut is a former Prime Minister Rural Development fellow and said to have close Maoist links. 

"We have arrested five people in connection with Bhima Koregaon violence. All five have close Maoist links and prima facie, their involvement is being seen in the matter. It is to be investigated whether they instigated the violence," Joint Commissioner of Police, Pune Police, Ravindra Kadam, said. 

He said there were possibilities of additional arrests in the case. "We are also evoking relevant sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," he said. He said the latest developments took place after the detailed investigation of the case registered at Vishrambaug police station. 

The event (Elgar Parishad) was attended by Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, JNU student leader Umar Khalid, Rohit Vemula's mother Radhika Vemula, and Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh president Prakash Ambedkar.

Shaniwarwada, a historical fortification in the city, had remained the seat of the Peshwas of the Maratha empire until 1818.

The complaint against the KKM members was lodged by one Tushar Damgude. The FIR was registered against Sudhir Dhawale, Sagar Gorkhe, Harshali Potdar, Ramesh Gaychor, Deepak Dengle and Jyoti Jagtap, a police official said. The complainant had alleged that the "provocative" speeches and presentations made during the entire programme "promoted" enmity between two groups.

The Pune Police had registered a case against Hindutwa leader Milind Ekbote and another right-wing leader Sambhaji Bhide. Ekbote had already been arrested in the case. Bhide and Ekbote are accused of orchestrating the violence.

A case against the members of the Kabir Kala Manch was registered under sections 153(a), 505(1)(b) and 117 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

(With PTI inputs)