Tentacles of conspiracy spread through India and beyond, says NIA
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday named eight persons, including prominent activists Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, Delhi University Associate Professor Hany Babu, Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap, Stan Swamy and Maoist leader Milind Teltumbde, in a 10,000-page supplementary chargesheet under penal code and anti-terror laws into the 2018 violence in Maharashtra’s Bhima Koregaon.
The federal agency had arrested 83-year-old Stan Swamy, a member of CPI (Maoist), on Thursday, from Ranchi. He was sent to jail till October 23 by a special court in Mumbai.
“During investigation, it was revealed that senior leaders of CPI(Maoist), a proscribed terrorist organisation, were in contact with the organisers 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,” the NIA said in a statement.
“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 NIA 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. 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, it said.
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,” it said.
The NIA probe further revealed that the eight chargesheeted persons “conspired” with other accused persons to further the ideology of terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist) and abetted violence, brought hatred and incited disaffection towards the Government established by law and promoted enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, caste and community. The absconding accused Milind Teltumbde also organised training camps for imparting weapons training to other accused persons, it said.
Anand Teltumbde played an active role with other Maoist cadres and received funds from them for carrying out the activities, revealing his “deep involvement” with CPI (Maoist).
“Gautam Navlakha’s active role and involvement also 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,” it said.
“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 Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) of Manipur and was instrumental in making efforts for release of convicted accused GN Saibaba on the directions of CPI (Maoist) and was raising funds for the same,” the agency said.
Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor and Jyoti Jagtap, 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 and were instrumental in planning and coordination all over Maharashtra.
Stan Swamy is a CPI (Maoist) cadre and was actively involved in its activities and was in communication with other cadres of the banned outfit. He propagated among cadres that the arrest of urban CPI (Maoist) cadres from different parts of the country, particularly in Maharashtra has caused a huge irrevocable damage to CPI (Maoist). He received funds from other Maoist cadres for the furtherance of the activities of CPI (Maoist). He is convenor of PPSC, a frontal organization of CPI (Maoist). The incriminating documents related to communications for furthering the activities of CPI (Maoist) and propaganda material of the CPI (Maoist) as well as literature were seized from his possession, it said.
The role of various frontal organizations of CPI (Maoist) has also emerged during investigation.
The latest chargesheet was filed under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The Pune Police had earlier filed two charge-sheets in this case on November 15, 2018 and February 21, 2019 against fifteen accused persons. The NIA took up the investigation of the case on January 24, 2020.