Elgar Parishad: Jesuit priest Stan Swamy arrested by NIA

New Delhi, Oct 09: The National Investigation Agency has arrested Jharkhand based activist Stan Swamy from his Ranchi home in connection with the Elgar Parishad case.

It may be recalled that Swamy who is a Jesuit priest was questioned by the NIA in July and August. He was summoned by the NIA to Mumbai this week. The NIA says that he has links with the naxalites.

What is happening to me is not unique. Many activists, lawyers, writers, journalists, student leaders, poets, intellectuals and others who stand for the rights of Adivasis, Dalits and the marginalised and express their dissent to the ruling powers of the country are being targeted, Swamy said in a statement.

This case pertains to organisation of Elgar Parishad at Pune, Maharashtra on December 31 2017, which promoted enmity between various caste groups and led to violence resulting in loss of life & property and state-wide agitation in Maharashtra. The investigation revealed that the Elgar Parishad along with Maoist leaders used the incident to spread the ideology of Maoism/Naxalism and encourage unlawful activities on the instructions of the leaders of CPI (Maoist), a banned organisation.

It was found that Hany Babu M T was a co-conspirator along with other accused persons propagating the naxal ideology. Babu was arrested on July 28 2020. Further, the investigation also revealed that accused Hany Babu was in contact with Paikhomba Meitei, Secretary Information and Publicity, Military Affairs, Kangkeipak Communist Party (MC), an organisation banned under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. An interview of Ganapathy, General Secretary of CPI (Maoist) was shared by Paikhomba Meitei with the accused Hany Babu. Communications of Hany Babu with other Maoists of Manipur have also been retrieved.

The investigation also revealed that after the release of CPI (Maoist) leader Pallath Govindankutty, Babu along with co-accused Rona Wilson, took the initiative to help him financially by raising funds.

Babu, along with other accused persons namely Rona Wilson, Anand Teltumbde, P Varavara Rao and Surendra Gadling formed a Committee for the release of G N Saibaba who was sentenced to life imprisonment for his links with CPI (Maoist).

During the search at Babu's house, NIA seized one account ledger, one receipt book of the Committee for the Defence and Release of Dr G N Saibaba, several documents as well as electronic items such as hard disk, USB pen drive among other items.