Sambhaji Bhide

PUNE: A senior officer from Pune rural police said investigators have not come across any clinching evidence from the video and audio clips examined till Friday evening on Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide 's roles in the violence at Koregaon Bhima on January 1.

The Shikrapur police under the Pune rural on Wednesday had registered an offence against Ekbote, executive president of Samasta Hindu Aghadi , and Bhide, who heads Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan , following a complaint by a 55-year-old Shirur woman on the violence.

Some men had pelted stones and damaged vehicles at a gathering of Dalits on January 1 to mark the 200-year-old battle of Koregaon Bhima.

On Thursday, the Pune police filed an FIR against MLA Jignesh Mevani and student leader Umar Khalid for making inflammatory and provocative statements at Shaniwarwada in Pune a day before the violence.

The senior officer, associated with the probe, said: "We won't take a call on arresting Ekbote and Bhide unless we come across clear evidence about their roles in the violence. From the video and audio clips examined till Friday afternoon, we have not come across such evidence." Investigators have got nearly 600 video and audio clips for scrutiny which will take some time, he added.

Residents unwilling to identify suspects

A Pune rural police officer stationed in Koregaon Bhima since January 1 told TOI that residents in the nearby villages are not ready to identify the suspects involved in the violence. "We have been showing them clips. Most know the suspects, but did not reveal them fearing that the suspect may implicate them," the officer said.

The strong emotions are clear from another incident. "On Thursday evening, a team of Pune rural police had gone to arrest a suspect after confirming his involvement in the January 1 violence. When our vehicles reached, the villagers gathered near the suspect's house and did not allow the team to take the suspect into custody. We did not arrest the person to avoid a situation," said a cop.

