Elgar Parishad: Accused inculcated Maoist sympathies in Delhi students says NIA

New Delhi, Oct 21: The National Investigation Agency recently filed a voluminous chargesheet in connection with the Elgar Parishad case. The NIA has charged Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, Hany Babu, Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap, Stan Swamy and Milind Teltumbde.

It says that Hany Babu inculcated Maoist sympathies in the students in Delhi. Quoting a witness, the NIA said that Babu had in particular inculcated Maoist sympathies in Dalit students coming from oppressed backgrounds. Further the witness also says that Umar Khalid was an urban party member.

This case arose out of Vishram Baug, Pune. The case was filed after it was found that people had been incited by giving provocative speeches during the Elgar Parishad organised at Shaniwarwada by activists of Kabir Kala Manch in December 2017.

This promoted enmity between various caste groups and led to violence resulting in loss of life property. 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.

On Anand Teltumbde, the NIA said that he used to attend international conferences under the guise of academic work. He taught first at the IIT-Khargapur and later at the Goa Institute of Management. He was arrested on April 14.

He visited Peru, Turkey, Philippines and would bring Maoist literature and videos relating to the ideology, tactics, weapons used by them. This literature would also contain information on the planning of sudden attacks and period of attacks, the NIA also said.

The said videos and literature would then be shown to members of the CPI (Maoist) in training classes, following the approval of the Central Committee Member meetings.

Gautam Navlakha had sought clemency for an ISI agent, who was convicting the United States in a terror funding case, the NIA said. Further the NIA said that his job was to unite intellectuals against the government forces. Further the chargesheet said that Navlakha had visited the United States thrice to address the Kashmiri American Council that was organised by Ghulam Nahi Fai.

Fai was arrested by the FBI in July 2011 for accepting funds from the ISI and Pakistan government. He had failed to report the origin of those funds. Navlakha had written to the to a Judge of a US court trying Fai's case for clemency. He also submitted letters to the US court on behalf of Fai.

It has also been alleged that his job was to recruit for the cadres of the guerrilla activities of the CPI-Maoist, which is a banned outfit. He has also been accused of trying to unit intellectuals against the government forces to defeat them both physically and otherwise.

He took part in the fact finding committee, assigned task for recruitment of cadres. He was also actively involved in fixing appointments and meetings between the active urban cadres and underground leaders of the CPI (Maoist), the chargesheet also said.

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 where Elgar Parishad Programme was organised. 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'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.

Hany Babu, an Associate Professor at Delhi University was instrumental in organising visits of foreign Journalists to CPI (Maoist) areas and was assigned 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, 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 Elgar Parishad programme with other co-accused as a part of well chalked out conspiracy. They propagated the agenda of CPI (Maoist) and made planning and co-ordination all over Maharashtra.

Stan Swamy is CPI (Maoist) cadre and was actively involved in its activities. Stan Swamy was in communication with other CPI (Maoist) cadres. He propagated among cadres that the arrest of urban CPI (Maoist) cadres from different parts of 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 organisation 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.