Bengaluru urban naxal’s specific brief was to coordinate with Maoist outfits across the world

The arrest of Abhay Devdas Nayak, an alleged member of the urban naxal network has thrown up a plethora of details on how the system works. Nayak, a resident of Bengaluru is alleged to have not just raised funds through international sources, but also wrote press releases for the naxalites.

The police says that Nayak had attended school in Bengaluru. He belongs to the Hanumanthnagar area and had completed his BBA between 2002 and 2005. He is said to have been influenced by Saket Rajan, a top naxal who was gunned down in Karnataka by the security forces.

Further the police say that after his completing his BBA from the Bangalore University, he obtains a masters degree in psychology from the Annamalai University, through distance learning. The police say that he was also well versed in website design, digital marketing, HTML and stock trading.

Describing his website, indiamicrofinance.com.

On the about page, the website says that it is one of the leading blogs on financial inclusion. The publication information states that Abhay Nayak is the editor and publisher. The website is registered at No 73, 10th Main, 34th A Cross, Jayanagar, Bengaluru 560011, India.

The police say that he would write on the website, apart from working in a few financial institutions.

He would try and hide his illegal activities, the police also said. Nayak who was brought before the media said that the police have got the wrong man. He said that he is not the Nayak that the police were referring to. I am a freelance journalist, he also said.

Propaganda:

The probe being conducted into the role of urban naxals states that their job was to bring pressure on the government to stop the action against the naxalites. The urban naxalites are the ones who spread propaganda and try and stop action against their friends in the jungles.

It may be recalled that the police had last Wednesday arrested Dalit activist Sudhir Dhawale, lawyer Surendra Gadling, activists Mahesh Raut and Shoma Sen and Rona Wilson from Mumbai, Nagpur and Delhi, respectively, in connection with 'Elgar Parishad' held in December and the subsequent Bhima-Koregaon violence in the district.

The police say that the action would continue and there are many such propaganda artists and spokespersons on their radar. Nayak was under the scanner for two years and there was a look out notice issued against him in 2017. The police are currently scrutinising his visits to various countries that include Luxembourg, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, England, Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Bolivia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Russia, Vietnam and Nepal.

The police has been scrutinising the statements given by such persons and also trying to find out with whom they are communicating. The police say that Nayak had visited Bastar twice. He was also made part of the Coordination Committee of Maoist Party and Organisations in South Asia (COCMPOSA).

This meant his brief was to keep in touch with Maoist organisations from across the world. The police allege that he had received funds for the naxalites from various international organisations.

The case for which Nayak has been booked however pertains to the the IED recovery in 2017. The naxalites had planted an IED in the Darbha area and during the probe the police had recovered pamphlets which had the name of Nayak. He has been booked under Sections 120(b) of the Indian Penal Code and also under the provisions of the Explosives Act and UAPA.