The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed an over 10000 page supplementary charge-sheet in the Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad case while terming it as “well chalked-out strategy”.
The chargesheet names Anand Teltumbde, resident of Dadar who is an academic, Gautam Navlakha, from New Delhi who is an activist, Hany Babu from Noida, members of Kabir Kala Manch (Pune residents Sagar Gorkhe, Jyoti Raghoba Jagtap and Ramesh Gaichor), Stan Swamy from Ranchi who is activist and Milind Teltumbde from Yavatmal in Maharashtra who is the secretary of the Maharashtra State Committee (MSC) of CPI (Maoist) who is absconding in the case.
The case pertains to the violence erupted in Koregaon Bhima and nearby areas on January 1, 2018, during the 200th-anniversary celebrations of the Koregaon-Bhima battle. “During investigation, it was revealed that senior leaders of CPI (Maoist), a proscribed terrorist organisation were in contact with the organizers of Elgar Parishad as well as the accused arrested in the case so as to spread the ideology of Maoism/Naxalism and encourage unlawful activities,” read an NIA statement after filling of the charge-sheet.
The Pune Police had earlier filed two charge-sheets in this case in 2018 and 2019 against fifteen accused persons. NIA took up the investigation of the case in January this year.
“Through meticulous, scientific and detailed analysis of more than 10,000 pages of communications made by various accused, reliable oral, documentary and material evidence was brought on record. NIA’s investigation revealed that the tentacles of conspiracy were not only spread throughout the country but also extended beyond India,” the agency said.
“The incriminating documents recovered from the accused include their discreet communications with other Maoist cadres regarding conspiracy related to the violent incident of Bhima Koregaon as a part of their well chalked-out strategy. It also included various documents regarding mobilisation against the constitutionally established government by the Maoist cadres, information about movement of the security forces with an intention to cause heavy damage to the state. Discreet codes were used for secret communication amongst themselves to avoid detection by security forces regarding their conspiracy and planning,” it said.
According to NIA, investigation also revealed a systematic network of Maoists operating for supply of arms and ammunition having close nexus with other banned proscribed organisations within and outside India.
“The strategy and tactics adopted by Maoists to carry out so-called urban revolution with their frontal outfits has also been revealed during investigation. Beside this, funding activities of Maoist cadres and their sympathisers to carry out Maoist work in rural as well urban areas came to the fore,” is said.
The accused conspired to further the ideology of terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist) and abetted violence, brought into hatred and incited disaffection towards the government established by law and promoted enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, caste and community, NIA has alleged that that the absconding accused Milind Teltumbde also organised training camps for imparting weapons training to other accused persons.
Allegations against individuals
Anand Teltumbde: who normally resides in Goa, was one of the conveners of ‘Bhima Koregaon Shaurya Din Prerna Abhiyan’ and was present at Shaniwar Wada, Pune on December 31, 2017, the day when the Elgar Parishad event was organized. He played an active role with other maoist cadres and received funds from them for carrying out the activities. Incriminating documents revealing his deep involvement with CPI (Maoist) activities also came to the fore.
Gautam Navlakha: Played an active role and involvement. Came up in the secret communications with CPI (Maoist) cadres. He was assigned the task to unite intellectuals against the government. He was part of some fact-finding committees and was assigned the task to recruit cadres for guerrilla activities of CPI (Maoist). His links with Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) also came to fore.
Hany Babu: An Associate Professor at Delhi University was instrumental in organising visits of foreign journalists to CPI (maoist) areas and was assigned the present and future task of Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF), a banned organisation in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He was in contact with banned terrorist organisation Kanglepak Communist Party (KCP) of Manipur and was instrumental in making efforts for release of convicted accused G. N. Saibaba on the directions of CPI (Maoist) and was raising funds for the same.
Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor and Jyoti Jagtap: They are trained cadres of CPI (Maoist) and members of Kabir Kala Manch, a frontal organisation of CPI (Maoist). They attended meetings for the organisation of the Elgar Parishad programme with other co-accused as a part of a well chalked out conspiracy. They propagated the agenda of CPI (Maoist) and made planning and co-ordination all over Maharashtra.
