Patil was cross-examined by SPP Hiray mostly over some of the “imaginary” characters linked to the cremation of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in the novel. His cross-examination by SPP Hiray concluded in March this year. Later, Hiray had spoken to several mediapersons regarding Patil’s cross-examination and his novel.

In his Facebook (FB) post about the complaint, Patil has claimed that SPP Hiray has given false information to the media about the novel and his testimony before the commission. Patil has also taken objection to circulation of his photographs of cross-examination before the commission to the media.

When contacted, commission’s secretary V V Palnitkar confirmed that Patil submitted a complaint against Hiray. Palnitkar said the complaint is yet to be presented before commission’s chairman J N Patil, a retired high court justice, and its member Sumit Mullick, a former bureaucrat.

The two-member commission is probing into the causes of violence in Koregaon Bhima area in Pune on January 1, 2018, in which one person had died and several others were injured.

Hiray said he has not yet received the copy of the complaint. “I have only stated the facts. Photographs of cross-examination of senior politician Sharad Pawar had also appeared in the media. There was nothing wrong in it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Patil stated on his Facebook account that he has submitted to the commission, the transcripts of Hiray’s interviews in Marathi to four TV news channels. “My deposition is with the commission. I have submitted the transcripts as evidence so that the commission could verify the false information given by Hiray in the interviews,” Patil stated.

Patil refuted Hiray’s statement to a news channel on March 9 that on page number 828 in the novel, it is generally mentioned that “cremation of Sambhaji Maharaj was performed by people from a particular community, and the other locals did not provide any help. In fact, the locals fled from there…”

Patil also said that Hiray’s comments on a news channel that his novel is dividing the society is wrong and “poisonous”.

Patil mentioned that he referred to the character “Govind Mahar” from the “Sanad” dated January 30, 1733, but never wrote that “Govind or his community performed last rites of Sambhaji Majaraj.”

When contacted, Deshmukh said as per this Sanad (historical official document pertaining to the issuing of grants), three persons including one Govind Gopal Dhegoji Megoji were appointed for carrying out certain duties at the samadhi of Sambhaji Maharaj in Vadhu Budruk village.

“It (Sanad) does not mention anywhere that Govind Mahar took part in cremation of Sambhaji Maharaj. But Patil has in his novel given an imaginary description of how the cremation was performed in Govind’s land,” said Deshmukh.

During cross examination by Hiray on March 6, Patil had told the commission that he did not come across any contemporary historical source to establish who performed the last rites of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Patil even said that in his novel, the characters linked to the last rites of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj are “imaginary”.

“They are representing all castes and communities… my focus was that all castes and communities gathered for performing the cremation of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj at village Vadhu Budruk,” he said.

When asked about his novel being used to create hatred among different sections to establish the belief that one Govind Gopal Mahar performed the last rites, Patil had said, “People should not use poetry and fiction for their political and sectarian gains”.

Earlier, during his cross examination by Deshmukh, Patil had said he is mainly a “social and historical fiction writer” and he included certain “imaginary minor characters” in the novel “Sambhaji” to portray certain incidents.

The dispute

Vadhu Budruk is a historic village (located about 4 kms from Koregaon Bhima), known for the samadhi of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. The village also has a disputed tomb-like structure, which, according to the Dalit Mahar community, is the samadhi of Govind Gopal Dhegoji Meghoji, a 17th century figure.

The village also has a memorial of ‘Bapuji and Padmavati Shivale’. Citing this memorial, Marathas from Vadhu Budruk believe it was their ancestors, the Shivale Deshmukhs, who had defied the orders of Aurangzeb and performed the last rites of Sambhaji Maharaj after he was killed by the Mughal emperor in 1689.

The Dalit Mahar community, however, claims that Govind Gopal performed the last rites of the king. A board with the ‘disputed history’ of Govind Gopal erected in Vadhu Budruk on the intervening night of December 28 and 29, 2017, had led to an altercation, which was seen as one of the triggers for Koregaon Bhima violence of January 1, 2018.