Joint commissioner of police Nangre Patil, DIG, CBI Mohd Suvez Haque depose at Koregaon Bhima Inquiry commission

MUMBAI: Joint commissioner of police (Law and Order) Vishwas Nangre Patil, 48, and Mohd Suvez Haque, DIG, CBI, Mumbai-- former superintendent of Police, Pune (rural)--, deposed on Thursday before the Koregaon Bhima commission of Inquiry.
Both were shown the affidavit each had filed, by advocate for the commission, Ashish Satpute. They acknowledged that its contents are true to their personal knowledge and that it may be considered as their evidence.Patil in his affidavit filed in February 2022, said he “proactively’’ took steps to ensure proper bandobast at Koregaon Bhima on January 1, 2018 and had visited the area and dispersed the crowd gathered at chowks and roads. He has when he reached Koregaon Bhima “the situation became more provocative’’ as news of a murder had spread and local mobs gathered. “I gave detailed instructions, mobilized forces and ensured protection to all citizens in the area,’’ said his affidavit.
Patil mentioned “post riot measures which brought peace and harmony’’ and said “I personally intervened at Shikrapur and pacified villagers and interacted with people blocking the road and ensured the mob at Koregaon Bhima was dispersed peacefully.’’
On January 2, 2018, Patil said he called a meeting of leaders of all the communities from KB and “by successful conciliation, I pacified both the sections’’. He said locals ave in writing that they had “no opposition or grudge to the celebrations at Jaystambh and they would welcome the devotee brethren coming in their village across the state to pay homage at the Jaystambh in the coming year too.’’
Senior advocate B A Desai was present and reserved his right to cross examine them at a later stage.
For Patil, the commission headed by Justice J N Patel, retired Chief Justice of Calcutta high court and member Sumit Mullick, IAS officer, said since other lawyers appearing before the Commission are not present and “witness is busy in maintaining law and order, he is discharged’’.
Both will be informed of the next date for their cross examination in due course.
Haque in his deposition said, “On 1st January 2018, while handling Law & Order and controlling mob as part of Bandobast, I suffered injuries so
also nine Police Officers and sixty Policemen, I will file my medical report on the next date.’’
Haque also said showed photos of two police chowkies which were, he said “ immediately erected in a temporary structure, one at Village Vadhu Budhruk and one at Perne Phata near the Jay Stambh. These two police chowkies are functional even today. The State Government is going to convert them into
permanent structure as these chowkies are useful in order to help and assist the Police to maintain Law & Order and service to the citizens who seek Police assistance.’’
The commission was set up in February 2018 by the State to conduct an inquiry into the rioting that occurred at Koregaon Bhima in Pune on January 1, 2018.
In his affidavit Nangre Patil had said he was special Inspector General of Police Kolhapur Range from June 12, 2016 to February 28, 2019 and had information, at the relevant time of “more mass mobilization at Jaystambh at Perne Village as celebration was planned to commemorate the victory of British tropps over Peshwa army, on a massive scale, being its bicentennial year and around 6 to 7 lakh people were expected to visit to pay homage during that day.’’
He said to ensure Pune rural gets adequate manpower, “I proactively wrote to DGP office requesting to be provided two constables from special branch from each district to Aurangabad Range as most of the people were expected to be gathering at Koregaon Bhima from Marathwada region.’’
Patil also said he had called a meeting of all five SPs in his range on December 30, 2017 to discuss and guide them about the massive crow for new year celebrations and Koregaon Bhima bandobast and…”sensitized them all about possible challenges.’’ Patil’s affidavit also said he had instructed the Pune rural SP to activate and alert his intelligence machinery, activate and utilize social media monitoring system to keep watch on social media…and “to identify suspected notorious people and prevent them from creating nuisance.’’
Patil said on the day of the riots on January 1, 2018 he personally spoke with SP Pune rural and others and the SP “categorically conveyed to me in the morning that the situation was peaceful’’. At 12.30 pm he received information of stone pelting and instructed and coordinated with officers in Pune to take immediate necessary measures and ordered 24 officers and 290 men equipped with riot control gears be sent urgently “in two slots to Koregaon Bhima”.