Key accused in Koregaon-Bhima violence moved bail plea

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The key accused, involved in the Elgaar Parishad case has moved their bail pleas before the court on Saturday. And their case will be handled by their lawyers Rahul Deshmukh, Parth Shah, Siddharth Patil and Rohan Nahar at a local court in Pune.

According to reports, the accused, who were arrested for triggering Koregaon Bhima violence, identified as Sudhir Dhawle, Lawyer Sudhir Gadling, Soma Sen, Arun Ferreira, P VaraVara Rao, Mahesh Raut, Rona Wilson, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharatwaj and Rona Wilson, have moved their bail pleas before the judicial magistrate in Pune.

All the accused had been charged under the offences under Indian Penal Code sections153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and IPC sections 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief) section of 121- wagging war and 124A sedition and 117 (Abetting commission of offence by the public) and stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The accused are currently under judicial custody at Yerawada Central Prison in Pune, and their bail will be handled by their lawyers Rahul Deshmukh, Parth Shah, Siddharth Patil and Rohan Nahar. JMFC will be hearing the case on Monday.

The Elgaar Parishad was held at Shaniwarwada in Pune on December 31, 2017, to mark the 200th commemoration of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, following which large scale violence was witnessed at Bhima Koregaon on January 1.

Also Read: Elgaar Parishad case: Police ask for extension in filing charge sheet against arrested

Based on a complaint filed by businessman Tushar Damgude, Vishrambaug police station on January 8 had registered a case against the organisers of the Elgaar Parishad - Harshali Potdar and Sudhir Dhawale of Republican Panthers (RP), Mumbai and Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap and Deepak Dhengle of the Pune-based Kabir Kala Manch (KKM).

The Pune police have conducted search operations at the residences of left-wing activist and poet Varavara Rao in Hyderabad, Vernon Gonsalves who was arrested under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2007, activist Arun Ferreira in Mumbai, trade unionist Sudha Bharadwaj and human rights activist Gautam Navalakha in Delhi along with others across the country. The police had also arrested Nagpur-based lawyer Surendra Gadling, Mumbai-based Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Sudhir Dhawale and New Delhi-based Rona Wilson in this regard on June 6.

Also Read: Elgaar Parishad case: Cops get 90 days more for charge sheet

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