Bhima-Koregaon violence: Arrested Maoist had plan an event in JNU

Pune: The banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) was in the process of organising a series of lectures at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in the memory of Naveen Babu, who was killed in police action in Andhra Pradesh in February 2000, City police have told a court.

Babu was a Maoist leader and JNU alumnus.The police statement came on Thursday before a city court while producing the five accused arrested in connection with Elgaar Parishad.

Investigators submitted documents which revealed plans of the banned outfit, CPI-Maoist, to organise the lecture series at JNU and supply material for the programme.

Pune city police have arrested Rona Wilson, an activist of the Committee for Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP) and JNU alumnus, from Delhi, activist Sudhir Dhawale of Republican Panthers, Jati Antachi Chalwal,  from Mumbai, lawyer Surendra Gadling of Indian Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL), Nagpur University professor Shoma Sen and ex-Prime Minister's Rural Development (PMRD) Fellow Mahesh Raut from Nagpur on June 6, in connection with a case pertaining to the Elgaar Parishad, a conference held at Shaniwar

Wada in Pune on 31st December. 

Pune Police had also said that those arrested were 'urban Maoist operatives.'

 'Provocative speeches' at the conference, police informed the court, caused violence in Koregaon-Bhima on January 1, which led to the death of a 30-year-old man and hundreds injured.

Prosecution sought an extension in the police custody of all the accused. 

District government pleader  Ujjwala Pawar told the court that searche at their residences unearthed data worth 25,000 GB from the five accused . Cloned copies of the recovered data have been obtained from the forensic department and they are being investigated, she said.

Police also told the court that all accused had links with the banned CPI-Maoist and investigation regarding their preparations, in execution and implementation of anti-national activities, was at a crucial stage. Letters investigated by police show funds were also provided to implement anti-national activities. Cash amount of Rs 80,000 has been seized from accused Rona, Ms Pawar told the court.

Prosecution, however, made no mention of the alleged Maoist conspiracy to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The police, in its report, also mentioned that custodial interrogation of the accused was required to probe a 'larger conspiracy' of the banned CPI-Maoist to organise and supply funds to the Elgaar Parishad.

Defence argued that JNU had nothing to do with the violence related to Elgaar Parishad and Bhima-Koregaon  and a separate offence can be registered to investigate it. The defence also argued that two retired justices were the main convenors of the Elgaar Parishad and police had nothing to show the involvement of the accused in the Bhima-Koregaon violence.The court extended police custody of four accused till June 21 as the fifth, Surendra Gadling, was admitted to hospital.(UNI)