Pune : The Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry has summoned Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar for deposing as witness on April 4. V V Palnitkar, secretary of the commission, Wednesday released the schedule of hearings at Mumbai between March 30 and April 4.

While IPS officer Mohammed Suvez Haque, who was the superintendent of Pune rural police when the Koregaon Bhoma violence took place on January 1, 2018, and the then additional superintendent of Pune rural police, Sandeep Pakhale, have been called for deposing as witness on March 30 and 31.

Also, Ravindra Sengaonkar, the then additonal commissioner (south region) of Pune city police, under whose jurisdiction the Elgaar Parishad took place at Shaniwar Wada on December 31, 2017, has also been summoned before the commission on April 1 and 3. Besides, Saurabh Rao, the then district collector of Pune, has been summoned for deposing as witness on April 3 and 4.

The commission has also summoned Vadhu Budruk resident Rajendra Gaikwad to depose as witness on April 1. An Ambedkarite Dalit, Gaikwad and his family members were allegedly involved in putting up a board with disputed history in Vadhu Budruk in the intervening night of December 28 and 29, 2017, which is seen as a trigger for the Koregaon Bhima violence on January 1, 2018, in which one person died and several others were left injured.

On Tuesday, the commission had issued a press release stating that in the view of corona virus pandemic, “all hearings scheduled at Pune during last week of March” were postponed. It stated that “hearing that was fixed at Pune is re-scheduled and will take place at Mumbai officer from March 30 and April 4, 2020.”

Accordingly, the commission today released the schedule for these hearings at it’s Mumbai office. Advocate Ashish Satpute, lawyer for the commission said, “Schedule for hearings in Mumbai has been released as per the routine procedure. In the view COVID-19, further decision on whether to hold or postpone these hearings in Mumbai may be taken by the commission after taking a review of the situation.”

A two-member commission headed by retired justice J N Patel is probing into the causes of Koregaon Bhima violence. On February 20, advocate Pradeep Gawade, representing a witness Sagar Shinde had prayed to the commission that summons be issued to Sharad Pawar to depose before the commission.

Gawade stated that in a press conference on February 18, Pawar had raised doubts about Pune city police probe in Elgaar Parishad case and had also alleged that Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide created some different atmosphere at Koregaon Bhima and vicinity on the backdrop of Koregaon Bhima violence.

In his application, Gawade prayed to commission that in the interest of justice summons be issued to Pawar and he be asked to depose before the commission in person and “furnish any additonal information he has so that the commission can arrive at its findings in a just and fair manner.”

Pawar had filed his affidavit before the commission in October 2018, in which he had not made any allegations against Hindutva leaders Bhide, Ekbote and had also not raised any doubts about Pune city police probe in Elgaar Parishad case.

Meanwhile, the extension granted to the commission by the state government for completing its inquiry into the Koregaon Bhima violence expires on April 8. Government will then decide regarding granting further extension to the commission.