Bombay HC refuses interim relief for Bhim Army in Pune

On Sunday, the ‘Bhima Koregaon Sangharsh Mahasabha’, a rally planned by the Bhim Army, was cancelled on the grounds of absence of relevant clearances. With the support of few student organisations, they organised Azad’s interaction with students at the university canteen.

Bhim Army
 
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court refused to grant interim relief to Bhim Army on Monday to hold their public meeting scheduled in Pune. They had filed a petitioned in court after Pune Police denied it permission to hold a public meeting. The court will hear the matter on January 4.
 
The plea has also sought a compensation of Rs. 10 crore for “illegal detainment” of Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad and other Dalit activists by the Mumbai Police on Saturday. In the petition filed Sunday through lawyer Nitin Satpute, Datta Pol, Pune unit chief of Bhim Army, urged the court to restrain the state from taking any action against him or the Bhim Army.
 
However, the Pune Police informed the high court that it was the Pune University which rejected permission to allow a rally by Azad on its grounds. It also said the Bhim Army chief is neither arrested nor placed under house arrest.
 
On Sunday, the ‘Bhima Koregaon Sangharsh Mahasabha’, a rally planned by the Bhim Army, was cancelled on the grounds of absence of relevant clearances.
 
After he arrived in Pune yesterday, Azad had held a press conference during which he had said that the police had not given the outfit permission, despite asking for it in advance.
 
During the press conference, he had replied in the affirmative when asked if he would visit Jaystambh in Perne village, about 30 km northeast of Pune, on January 1, the anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon.
 
“Despite asking for it well in advance, police have not given us the permission (to hold the event). But we have approached the High Court. The hearing is scheduled on Monday. If we do not get permission (from the court), I will meet the supporters of Bhim Army in Pune, which is my right. Police are violating the Article 19 of the Indian Constitution by denying us permission,” Azad had said.
 
Bhim Army had planned Azad’s interaction with students and youths at the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) on December 31. But there was no permission from SPPU for the event. With the support of few student organisations, Bhim Army organised Azad’s interaction with students at the university’s Aniket canteen.
 
He is scheduled to visit Bhima Koregaon on January 1. He will visit Nagpur on January 2 and go to Amravati on January 4, according to Bhim Army volunteers.
 

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