Bhima Koregaon case: Chargesheet filed against 5 accused

Pune, Nov 15: Pune Police files chargesheet against the five accused Advocate Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Sudhir Dhawale and Rona Wilson, in Pune Sessions Court in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence case.

Investigating officer of the case ACP Shivaji Pawar filed the 5000-page chargesheet in the court of Additional Sessions Judge KD Vadane.

The FIR in the case, lodged by Pune resident Tushar Damgude on January 8, had initially named Harshali Potdar and Dhawale of Republican Panthers, Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap and Deepak Dhengle of the Pune-based Kabir Kala Manch.

The FIR claimed that the accused, as per the strategy of the CPI- Maoist, "mislead the Dalits and spread thoughts of violence" in their minds.

On June 6, police had arrested Wilson, Gadling, Sen, Raut and Dhawale in connection with the case. Cops alleged these suspects played a role in providing funds of banned CPI-Maoists to Elgaar Parishad. All were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

On August 28, in the second round of arrests, police conducted raids at the houses of and arrested five prominent activists Sudha Bharadwaj, Vara Vara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira and Gautam Navlakha, alleging them to be active CPI-Maoist members