State begins review of Elgar Parishad cases; cops told to investigate snooping allegations

› The review meeting held today was not conclusive. We have planned to meet again in the next few days. The police have submitted documents and proofs. ANIL DESHMUKH, Maharashtra home minister

MUMBAI: Amonth after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar demanded a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the arrests of writers and activists involved in Elgar Parishad, connecting them to the Bhima-Koregaon violence in Pune on January 1, 2018, the state government on Thursday started reviewing the cases filed by the Pune Police.

Besides two charge sheets filed by the police, the government has reportedly asked the Pune Police to reveal the source of the letter allegedly found with arrested activist Rona Wilson, which the police used as key evidence against the activists.

The government has also begun the probe into the alleged tapping and snooping of Opposition leaders during the Lok

Sabha and Assembly elections last year.

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and home minister Anil Deshmukh held the first review meeting to take stock of the investigation. The meeting held in the Mantralaya on Thursday was attended by additional chief secretary Sanjay Kumar, director-general of police Subodh Jaiswal, state intelligence commissioner Rashmi Shukla, ACP Shivaji Pawar and special inspector general Ravindra Kadam. Pawar was the investigating officer, while Kadam was the joint commissioner in Pune when the arrests took place.

Ajit Pawar and Deshmukh reportedly questioned police officers about the evidence and corroborative documents they had collected while booking the activists, terming them “urban naxals”.