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Bhima Koregaon case: Police chargesheet alleges Maoist plot to assassinate PM

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Bhima Koregaon case: Police chargesheet alleges Maoist plot to assassinate PM

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Pune police chargesheet in Bhima Koregaon case filed on Thursday, November 15, in a special UAPA court alleges “conspiracy to assassinate the PM and to overthrow constitutionally elected government by way of procuring weapons and ammunition” by Maoists.

Also, said the chargesheet, the Maoists are trying to mobilise and incite Dalits and the Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune last December was part of this strategy and it “aggravated” the violence at Koregaon Bhima on January 1, the charge sheet said.

The over 5,000-page charge sheet named 10 persons, including five activists Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen, Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhavale, all arrested on June 6 and currently lodged under judicial custody in Yerawada jail.

Besides, it named five “underground CPI (Maoist) operatives”: Dipak alias Milind Teltumbade, Kishan Da alias Prashant Bose, Prakash alias Rituparn Goswami, Deepu and Manglu.

The move came a day before the Supreme Court was to hear the Maharashtra government’s appeal against the Bombay high court’s order refusing additional time to the police for filing a chargesheet in the Elgar Parishad case.

On October 29, the SC had ordered a stay on the high court order after the state’s lawyer said that the five arrested activists will, otherwise, get bail by default.

On August 28, the police conducted raids at the houses of five prominent activists Sudha Bharadwaj, Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira and Gautam Navlakha for their alleged links with the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit. Three of them are under judicial custody in Yerawada jail.

In the chargesheet moved by Pune’s district government pleader Ujjwala Pawar on behalf of investigating officer, ACP Shivaji Pawar, before special UAPA judge KD Vadane, the police said, “Maoist leaders including…Rona Wilson and fugitive Kishan Da were conspiring the assassination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and waging war against the country for which they were planning to procure arms and ammunition,” it stated.

The police cited several documents seized from the Maoist leaders to make the claim on Modi’s assassination plan.

The larger conspiracy of CPI (Maoists) was to overthrow the democratic system in the country, and the accused were working in that direction, the charge sheet claimed. It also enumerates roles played by Gadling, Dhawale, Wilson, Sen and Raut in “fulfilling the objectives and furthering a larger Maoist conspiracy to create social unrest and overthrow government by way of unlawful activities”.

It alleged that the Maoists supported and funded the Elgar Parishad in Pune on December 31, 2017 as part of a larger conspiracy to create social unrest and overthrow the government.

The provocative speeches and inflammatory statements at the Parishad contributed to caste clashes at Koregaon Bhima near Pune on January 1, police said.

Pune police commissioner K Venkatesham told TOI, “We have filed a 5,160-page chargesheet against 10 people for charges ranging from planning to assassinate lawful authority to being founding members and supporters of the CPI (Maoist); criminal conspiracy; promoting enmity; raising funds for the banned outfit and giving statements causing mischief.”

On the state’s appeal in the SC regarding 90-day extension for filing the chargesheet, Venkatesham said, “The proceedings in the SC is independent of what we are doing here. We have filed the chargesheet because we have completed our investigations.”

City realtor Tushar Damgude had lodged an FIR on January 8 alleging that speakers had made inflammatory speeches and provocative statements at the Elgar Parishad held at the historic Shaniwarwada on December 31, 2017. Police have stated in the chargesheet that organising the parishad was part of the CPI (Maoist) conspiracy “to divide communities and create unrest by way of distorting history and raising a mass uprising against the government. Focusing on Dalits, minorities, women, students and the oppressed class and influencing them against the government formed a part of this conspiracy.”

The chargesheet stated that Dhawale was fulfilling the Maoist objectives through Kabir Kala Manch, a Left-leaning cultural organisation, and was in touch with underground operatives Deepu and Mangalu for two months prior to the parishad.

Following the indication of a Maoist link behind the Parishad, the police had carried out simultaneous raids in Mumbai, Nagpur, Delhi and other places on April 17 and seized several “incriminating material” and electronic devices like laptops, computers, hard disks, pen drives, memory cards and mobile phones from the residences of the five activists, who were finally arrested on June 6. The police obtained cloned copies of material in the seized devices from the forensic laboratory and went ahead with their further probe.

The chargesheet stated that the five arrested activists are active members of the CPI (Maoist). Gadling and Sen raised funds for the banned outfit and for organising the Elgar Parishad as a part of the “Koregaon Bhima Shaurya Din Prerna Abhiyaan”. To keep the unrest alive after the January 1 violence at Koregaon Bhima, the Maoists provided Rs 5 lakh to Gadling and Sen through Raut, a former PMRD research fellow.

Raut also recruited two students from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai and sent them to the Maoist guerrilla zone in the jungles for arms and weapons training, the chargesheet stated. This came to the fore in the correspondence between Wilson and Prakash, it added.

Documents retrieved from Wilson and Gadling’s laptop and computer showed details of Maoist ERB’s decisions taken at a meeting from December 21 to 24. A central committee circular titled, “Present situation and our task”, was also retrieved from these devices and the same stated how terror activities were to be carried out for the struggle against “Brahminical” forces, including the BJP and RSS, by organizing Dalits, minorities, tribals and the poor class, the chargesheet stated.

All five arrested activists were working through various frontal organizations of the CPI (Maoist) such as the Indian Association of People’s Lawyers, Anuradha Ghandy Memorial Committee and Kabir Kala Manch, the chargesheet stated. Wilson and Gadling, in association with the Maoist politburo and central committee members, got Dhawale, Sen and Raut involved in unlawful activities and in organizing meetings attended by underground operatives, the chargesheet added.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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BJP releases first list of 47 candidates for Kerala assembly polls

The BJP has released its first list of 47 candidates for the Kerala Assembly elections scheduled for April 9, including three former Union ministers.

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4 hours ago

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March 16, 2026

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BJP releases list of candidates

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released its first list of 47 candidates for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections scheduled for April 9.

Voting will take place for all 140 seats in the state assembly, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4. A party or coalition needs at least 70 seats to secure a majority in the House.

Among the candidates announced in the first list are three former Union ministers — Rajeev Chandrasekhar, V. Muraleedharan and George Kurian.

Key candidates announced

Kerala BJP chief and former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has been fielded from the Nemom assembly constituency. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Chandrasekhar lost the Thiruvananthapuram seat to three-time MP Shashi Tharoor, but he led in the Nemom assembly segment during that contest. The party believes this performance strengthens its prospects in the constituency.

Nemom has held political significance for the BJP since 2016, when senior leader O. Rajagopal won the seat and became the party’s first-ever MLA in the 140-member Kerala Legislative Assembly. The victory marked the BJP’s initial breakthrough in the state assembly.

However, the seat returned to the Left camp in the 2021 Assembly election when V. Sivankutty defeated BJP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan.

Former Union minister V. Muraleedharan will contest from the Kazhakoottam constituency, while George Kurian has been nominated from Kanjirappally.

Other candidates in the list

According to the list released by the party, several other candidates have also been announced for key constituencies. P. C. George will contest from Poonjar, R. Sreelekha from Vattiyoorkavu and Padmaja Venugopal from Thrissur.

The BJP has also nominated Sobha Surendran from Palakkad, Navya Haridas from Kozhikode North and Kavitha K. S. from Sulthanbathery, a reserved constituency.

Raji Prasad will contest from the Kunnathur seat reserved for Scheduled Castes, while R. Rashmi has been fielded from Kottarakkara.

Political backdrop in Kerala

Kerala’s electoral politics has traditionally alternated between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). However, the BJP has been attempting to expand its presence in the state.

The alternating trend was interrupted in the 2021 Assembly election when the electorate returned the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government to power for a second consecutive term.

The BJP believes recent electoral performances and local body successes have strengthened its position as it prepares to contest the upcoming assembly polls.

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Fire in ICU at SCB medical college hospital in Cuttack kills 10 patients

Ten patients died after a fire broke out in the trauma ICU at SCB medical college hospital in Cuttack early Monday morning. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced compensation and ordered a judicial probe.

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14 hours ago

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March 16, 2026

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A major fire at the trauma care intensive care unit (ICU) of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Odisha, early Monday morning left ten patients dead and several hospital staff members injured.

According to officials, the fire broke out between 2:30 am and 3:00 am in the trauma ICU where critically ill patients were undergoing treatment. Emergency teams rushed to the scene soon after the incident, and multiple fire engines were deployed to control the blaze and assist in rescue operations.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said hospital staff were injured while evacuating patients from the affected ward during the emergency.

Patients shifted as rescue operations continued

Following the fire, 23 patients were moved to other departments and wards within the hospital to ensure their safety and continued medical care.

Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said seven critically ill patients died while being shifted to other ICUs and wards, while three more succumbed later.

“A total of 23 patients have been shifted to other departments. Seven serious patients died while shifting to other ICUs and wards, while another three patients died later. I have directed the concerned officers for proper treatment of the injured patients,” Majhi said.

Chief minister visits hospital, announces compensation

Soon after the incident, Majhi visited the hospital along with Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling to review the situation. They also met patients who were undergoing treatment at the facility.

The Chief Minister announced financial assistance of ₹25 lakh for the families of each deceased patient.

He also ordered a judicial probe into the incident to determine the cause of the fire and examine safety measures at the hospital.

Authorities continue to monitor the condition of injured staff members and patients who were shifted from the ICU.

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Arvind Kejriwal moves Supreme Court against Delhi High Court order in excise policy case

Arvind Kejriwal has approached the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court order related to proceedings in the excise policy case and alleging violation of his fundamental rights.

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14 hours ago

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March 16, 2026

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Arvind Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approached the Supreme Court of India challenging certain proceedings in the Delhi excise policy case and alleging a violation of his fundamental rights.

In a petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, Kejriwal has questioned a decision of the Delhi High Court that put a freeze on remarks related to the investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The petition also challenges an order of the High Court Chief Justice rejecting Kejriwal’s request to transfer the case to another bench.

Plea seeks change of bench

Earlier, on March 11, Kejriwal and several others submitted a representation to Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya seeking reassignment of the case to what they described as an “impartial” judge.

In the representation, Kejriwal stated that he had a “grave, bona fide and reasonable apprehension” that the matter may not receive an impartial hearing before the current bench.

However, the Chief Justice declined the request and said the petition had been assigned as per the existing roster.

According to the communication sent by the High Court’s Registrar General on March 13 to eight individuals including Kejriwal, the Chief Justice noted that any decision on recusal must be taken by the judge hearing the matter and that there was no reason to transfer the petition administratively.

Order on trial court proceedings also challenged

Kejriwal has also challenged a March 9 order passed by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court.

In that order, Justice Sharma had stayed a trial court direction that called for an investigation into a CBI officer who handled the excise policy case. The High Court had also asked the trial court to defer proceedings connected to the anti-money laundering aspect of the case.

Justice Sharma had further rejected certain observations made by the trial court while discharging Kejriwal and 22 others, stating that some of those remarks were erroneous.

Hearing expected on CBI plea

Meanwhile, Justice Sharma is scheduled to hear a petition filed by the CBI challenging the discharge of Kejriwal, former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and others in the excise policy case.

The matter remains under judicial consideration as the legal challenge now moves to the Supreme Court.

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