Bhima Koregaon Violence case: Accused sent to judicial custody till 4 July

Advocate Surendra Gadling, an accused in Bhima Koregaon Violence case, has been sent to judicial custody till 4 July on Monday. The accused advocate was earlier admitted to Sassoon hospital following a blood pressure problem, after which he was sent to magistrate custody on June 11.

Subsequently, the four accused - Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Jacob Wilson, Shoma Sen and Mahesh Raut - apart from Gadling, were arrested by the Pune police on June 6 from Mumbai, Nagpur, and Delhi.

They were arrested over a month after raids at their homes and offices in connection with an event to commemorate the Battle of Bhima Koregaon on December 31.

The police claimed that those arrested were "top urban Maoist operatives".

On 1 January, violence had erupted at an event meant to mark the 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle in which British forces defeated the Peshwa army on January 1, 1818. The violence led to the death of one person and injuries to several others, including 10 policemen.

A case was filed in Pune in January for the role of the December 31 event in inciting people to violence. In March, sections under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act were added to it.