Bhima-Koregaon: Milind Ekbote granted relief, now allowed to interact with media, travel abroad

Milind Ekbote, an accused in the Bhima-Koregaon violence case, was granted relief from an earlier order by the Pune Sessions Court on Tuesday. He is now allowed to interact with media, deliver public speeches and move freely within as well as outside the country.

The new order also states that Ekbote does not need to visit the Shikrapur police station every week, as per the earlier order.

A prime accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence, Ekbote was granted bail on a bond of Rs. 25,000 by Pune Session court on April 19 last year.

Hindutva leader Ekbote was arrested by the Maharashtra Police on March 14, after the Supreme Court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea.

Ekbote was facing charges of inciting violence, attempt to murder and atrocities against Dalits in the Koregaon Bhima violence that erupted in Pune on January 1 and left one dead and several others injured including 10 policemen.

Violence erupted after some people, reportedly with saffron flags, pelted stones at cars heading towards the Perne village on the Pune-Ahmednagar Road for the commemoration of 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon war on New Year's Day.