Bhima-Koregaon anniversary: no relief for Bhim Army

The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to grant any interim relief to Bhim Army after Pune police denied permission to hold a public meeting.

The court has adjourned the matter till January 4.

The petition among others also sought a compensation of Rs 10 crore “illegal detainment” of Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad and other Dalit activists by the Mumbai Police on Saturday.

The Bhim Army chief is touring Mumbai and Pune coinciding with the 201st anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima war. The anniversary of the historic Third Anglo-Maratha battle between the 834-strong British force comprising mostly of soldiers from the Dalit Mahar community and the 28,000-strong army of Peshwa Bajirao II, which was vanquished.The British later erected a victory obelisk (memorial).

The Dalit castes consider the obelisk as their symbolic victory over the higher castes. The victory achieved on January 1, 1818, has been celebrated every year on New Year Day since the past 200 years.