The commission investigating the Koregaon Bhima violence case of 2018 has issued a show cause notice to former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray for failing to respond to a request for documents related to the case, reported the PTI.

The inquiry panel, headed by former High Court Chief Justice J. N. Patel, questioned in the notice why an application filed by Prakash Ambedkar, leader of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and a witness in the case, seeking a bailable warrant against Uddhav Thackeray, should not be allowed.

Prakash Ambedkar had submitted the application in February this year, requesting that Uddhav Thackeray produce documents submitted by NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar in 2020, as per the PTI.

According to Ambedkar, the documents contained claims by Pawar that certain right-wing organisations were responsible for the violence at Koregaon Bhima, near Pune, in 2018.

The commission noted that notices had already been issued to Uddhav Thackeray twice, on September 12 and October 27, but he failed to respond. Ambedkar, through his lawyer Kiran Kadam, subsequently filed for a bailable warrant against the former chief minister, according to the PTI.

The commission has scheduled a hearing on December 2 and warned that if Thackeray or his legal representative does not appear, further action as permitted under the law would be taken.

The Maharashtra government had constituted the commission in February 2018 to investigate the violence, with former chief secretary Sumit Mullick serving as a member.

According to police reports, violence erupted on January 1, 2018 between caste groups near the war memorial in Pune district during the bicentennial anniversary of the 1818 Battle of Koregaon Bhima.

One person died and several others, including 10 police personnel, were injured in the incident.

The Pune police had alleged that provocative speeches at the `Elgar Parishad conclave`, held on December 31, 2017, in Pune, triggered the violence near Koregaon Bhima.

The police claimed the Elgar Parishad conclave organisers had links with Maoists.

Authorities have alleged that provocative speeches delivered at the `Elgar Parishad conclave` in Pune, which reportedly had links to Maoist organisations, instigated the violence, the news agency reported.

(with PTI inputs)

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