Why Bailable Warrant Should Not Be Issued? Bhima Koregaon Panel Issues Notice To Uddhav Thackeray Over Failure To Produce Documents

A 2-member Commission appointed by Maharashtra government probing the 2018 Bhima-Koregaon violence, on Thursday issued a show cause notice to Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray to explain why bailable warrants should not be issued for failing to respond to a plea seeking production of certain documents. 

Notably, the commission comprising of Justice (retd.) Jay Narayan Patel and former State Chief Secretary Sumit Mullick has been conducting an enquiry into the violence that broke out in Pune's Bhima-Koregaon area, between followers of Dr BR Ambedkar and right-wing groups, while the former were ushering into the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the victory of the community over Peshwas.

The commission took note of an application filed in February by Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar claiming that in 2020 NCP chief Sharad Pawar had submitted a set of documents to the then CM Thackeray.

These documents, Ambedkar claimed, contained allegations that the present Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis–who was also the CM in 2018 when the incident happened, and the Pune Police were responsible for the violence that took place during the Bhima Koregaon incident.

Ambedkar, therefore, urged the Commission to produce these documents and, if necessary, summon Pawar to testify before the Commission regarding the matter. He highlighted that these documents were crucial for the inquiry into the incident and should be examined as part of the ongoing investigation.

Advocate Ashish Satpute, representing the Commission, confirmed the development and informed Live Law that the panel had noted that it had already issued notices on two separate occasions to Thackeray on this very point, for production of these documents. It noted that despite service of the notice, Thackeray failed to respond to the plea.

"Whereas, Mr Ambedkar through his Advocate had filed an application for issuing a bailable warrant against you to secure your presence for the purpose of production of the said documents and the Commission was pleased to issue a notice requiring you to show cause as to why the said application should not be allowed. Therefore, you are directed to remain present either in person or through authorised representative on December 2, 2025 at 11.00 AM and show cause as to why the said application should not be allowed," the Commission stated in the notice.

If you fail to comply with this show cause notice, further action as permissible in law would be taken against you, the Commission made it clear.

It would not be out of place to mention that the Bhima-Koregaon Commission was constituted in 2018 itself with a task to fact find about the violence and also to give recommendations to avoid such violence in future. Since the last seven years, the Commission has received several extensions. The last extension granted the Commission time till October 31, however, now again a further extension is granted till March 1, 2026.

The Commission is presently hearing final arguments in the matter and is likely to come up with its findings in 2026.