Bandyopadhyay, eminent playwright and director, said in a statement that he is returning the award conferred on him earlier this year by the Paschimbanga Natya Akademi and the Rs 30,000 monetary grant.
With all the evasions, one assertion made by the Pune (Rural) police stood out: They had found no connection of the Elgar Parishad with the violent incidents of January 1, 2018. Yet, the case against the 'Bhima Koregaon 16', which is based on exactly this alleged connection, continues, and seven of the accused continue to be behind bars under the UAPA, explains Jyoti Punwani.
This is just another instance of the indifference with which the Commission has been treated by the government.
Either this affidavit was prepared a long time back, or, Ambedkar has not been following the Commission's hearings.
The panel had earlier summoned Pawar in 2020, but he could not appear before it due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Later, another summons was issued to Pawar for appearing before the commission on February 23 and 24 this year, but the senior politician had sought a fresh date, saying he wanted to file an additional affidavit before recording his testimony.
The last hearing was conducted on November 15, 2021.
Apart from Sharad Pawar, the commission will also record the evidence of the then superintendent of police (Pune Rural) Suvez Haq, then additional SP, Sandip Pakhale and the then additional commissioner, Pune, Ravindra Sengaonkar, between February 21 and February 25.
The foundation of the Bhima Koregaon case was blown to bits by a senior policeman, reports Jyoti Punwani.
The ruling Trinamool Congress held the Bharatiya Janata Party responsible for the blast and alleged that the saffron party was aiming to kill South Dum Dum Municipality chairman and TMC leader Panchu Roy. But the BJP rubbished the charges.
Pawar filed an additional affidavit before the probe panel on April 11, a copy of which was made available on Thursday.
ACP Shivaji Pawar has been asked to file his affidavit by August 15.
Maoists opened fire at a makeshift Central Reserve Police Force camp at Bundu in Jharkhand on Tuesday night, leaving a villager dead and a jawan injured, the police said on Wednesday.Armed Maoists attacked the camp located in a school, about 50 km from Ranchi, at approximately 11 pm on Tuesday night, Deputy Inspector General of Police R K Mullick said. "While a CRPF jawan was injured in the firing, a villager was killed. The jawan is out of danger," Mullick said.
Ambedkar told Rediff.com that he intended making an application that private witnesses not be cross-examined by the Bhima Koregaon Commission of Inquiry.
Pawar recorded his testimony before the commission in Mumbai in connection with the January 2018 violence at the Koregaon Bhima war memorial in Pune district of Maharashtra.
'Not giving the Commission space in Mumbai is an insult to Maharashtra's Dalits who are waiting for the inquiry report.'
Over 200 houses were damaged, scores of people were rendered homeless and nine persons were injured as storms lashed pockets of three districts of West Bengal since last night.
West Bengal police sub-inspector Amitabha Mullick was shot dead and four police personnel were severely injured after supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morch loyal to Gurung opened fire to stop the advancing police party.
The powerful blast blew up the police gypsy killing Bundu DSP Pramod Kumar Sinha and two constables on the spot, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police R K Mullick told PTI. Later, two other constables succumbed to their injuries on way to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Mullick said.
Although earlier reports indicated that five people had been detained in connection with the case, Nadia SPsaid no arrests or detention have so far been made in the case.
Locket Chatterjee, BJP MP from Hooghly, has threatened that the last rites will be done on the roads if the police don't allow them to move forward.
For several days when Srivastav was unconscious after her surgery, police probed if she had attempted suicide.
Over 1.03 crore voters will decide the political fate of 306 candidates in this phase.
Five persons, including three Bangladeshis, were injured as personnel from the Border Security Force and Bangladesh Rifles traded gunfire in West Bengal's Malda and South Dinajpur districts.
Seventeen people, including the son of former Jharkhand chief minister Babulal Marandi, were killed by armed Naxalites at Chilkhadia village in Giridih district in the wee hours of Saturday. 25-30 Naxalites mingled with the crowd at a cultural programme in the village. Around 1 am, the Naxalites started firing indiscriminately and exploding bombs at the crowded site. While 14 people were killed on the spot, three died from their injuries later.
Government rejects activists' request. Commission requests new witness to attend.
Testimony presented before the Bhima Korgaon Commission over the last two months reveals the background to the violence that broke out on January 1, 2018.
Sporadic violence marked the third phase of panchayat elections in West Bengal on Friday covering three districts of Howrah, North 24-Parganas and South 24-Parganas where an average 25 per cent polling was recorded in the first four hours of voting.
'We want the Commission to finish its work; the issue it is investigating is too crucial for its work to be left incomplete.'
A girl was killed after being allegedly raped in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, after which a mob blocked road traffic and damaged the car of a ruling Trinamool Congress member of Parliament in protest against police's alleged inaction to save the victim.
An advanced jet trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed in a paddy field at Kudarsahi in Mayurbhanj district on Wednesday, leaving two pilots injured.
The development set off a slugfest, with the RSS' official twitter handle alleging that it was done to "appease jihadi elements
Ranaghat sub-disional hospital superintendent A N Mondal said that the nun was taken to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, over 64 km away, from where she left for an undisclosed destination.
If the Bhima Koregaon commission is terminated before completing its work, the people affected by the violence 'would feel cheated'.
'Today, our vast green pastures where local herders used to take their cattle to graze have been taken over by the Chinese.' 'The people in the Galwan Valley have lost their lands where their cattle used to graze.'
The woman has pleaded to spend some more time in the hospital.
Tanaji Sable's story confirmed what the first witness had told the commission: That the Dalits who had gone to Bhima-Koregaon were stoned; that there were motorcyclists bearing saffron flags roaming around inspiring fear; that the police did nothing to protect the Dalits.
'Those who attacked me, punish them.'
'Whenever Dalits have agitated on the streets, the government has blamed Naxalites.'
The arrest of Paravai Badusha will help the police solve many terror cases including the BJP office blast in Bangalore and the 1998 Advani assassination bid in Coimbatore. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
'R N Kao was a spymaster, an institution builder and a gentleman.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances