The Supreme Court on Monday refused to quash Pune Police’s FIR against civil rights activist Anand Teltumbde for his alleged role in the Elgar Parishad-Koregaon Bhima violence and for his alleged Maoist links. The apex court also refused to interfere with the ongoing investigation in the case.
However, a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Ashok Bhushan and S K Kaul extended the interim protection from arrest granted to him by the Bombay High Court by four weeks.
Earlier on December 21, The Bombay High Court turned down a plea of an activist, Anand Teltumbde, seeking to quash an FIR against him in Bhima Koregaon Violence Case. But the Court granted him protection from arrest for three weeks. Following which the activist approached the top Court.
Pune Police had in December registered a fresh FIR against five more accused, making it total 33 FIR till now in connection with Bhima Koregaon Violence Case.
Pune Police in November last year has filed it 5,160-page charge sheet against 10 people in special UAPA Court. Of the ten charge-sheeted, five activists – Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, and Mahesh Raut, were arrested on June 6 last year in connection with the violence during Elgar Parishad.
The Charge sheet stated that the ‘Entire Campaign for Elgar Parishad and the Speeches Delivered at Elgar Parishad aggravated the Violence. Police during the course of Investigation has examined over 80 witnesses.
The Violence erupted at the 200-anniversary Celebrations of Bhima Koregaon on January 1, last year.