Bhima Koregaon violence: Nation wide raids led to arrest of these persons

New Delhi, Aug 28: The Pune police which led a nation wide raid at the residences of lawyers and activists in connection with their investigation into the alleged naxal links has carried out several arrests.

The police have arrested at least 6 persons which includes writer, P Varavara Rao, a local journalist, activist, Gautam Navlakha, lawyers Arun Pereira, and Vernon Gonsalves in Mumbai and civil rights lawyer and trade unionist Sudha Bhardwaj in Faridabad.

All these persons have been charged under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code.

The Pune police had managed to get the transit remand of Navlakha till August 30. However a plea was filed in the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the transit remand.

Searches were conducted at eight places simultaneously in Hyderabad, Ranchi, Delhi, Faridabad and Mumbai.

A team of Pune police on Tuesday morning searched the Mumbai residences of Gonsalves and Pereira, who were representing the case of five persons arrested previously for alleged Maoist connections.

A team also searched the house of Father Stan Swamy in Ranchi, while the other went to the house of Maoist ideologue Rao in Hyderabad. Rao's family said that he was arrested by the police following an 8 hour search at his home.

One of the journalists, Tekula Kranthi, was also arrested after police reportedly seized his laptop and several documents allegedly showing his connections with the Maoist party.