We aren't not withdrawing serious cases in Bhima-Koregaon violence case: Minister Jayant Patil

Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Jayant Patil on Wednesday said the state government has not withdrawn serious cases against social activists allegedly involved Bhima-Koregaon violence.

"We are not taking blanket decisions on the cases related to Bhima-Koregaon. We are not taking any decisions on serious cases. If a case does not pertain to a serious offence, we will consider such cases," he said here.

Patil said that the state government is also reviewing cases filed against the people in connection with the Maratha reservation protest.

In January last year, violence erupted at an event to mark the 100 years of the Bhima-Koregaon battle, leaving one dead and several injured including 10 policemen in Pune.

The police had filed 58 cases against 162 people during a state-wide shutdown in January following clashes in Bhima-Koregaon.

Later that year, the police filed a charge sheet against ten people including five arrested activists -- Roma Wilson, Shoma Sen, Sudhir Dhawale, Mahesh Raut and Surendra Gadling and five absconding accused -- Commander Dipak Milind Teltumbde, Kishanda Prashant Bose, Prakash Naveen Rituoam Goswami, Commanders Deepu and Manglu.

The police, in its charge sheet, alleged that Elgaar Parishad, which was organised at Pune's Shaniwar Wada on December 31, 2017, had aggravated the violence in Koregaon Bhima a day later.

The charge sheet further stated that a letter recovered from one of the arrested accused revealed that a conspiracy was being framed to plan a Rajiv Gandhi like assassination to take down Prime Minister Narendra Modi.