NIA Files Chargesheet in Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad Case

Pune/Mumbai, October 9, 2020: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today filed supplementary chargesheet in Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad Case in NIA Special Court at Mumbai against eight accused persons for the offences under sections 120B, 115, 121, 121A, 124A, 153A, 201, 505(1)(b) and 34 of IPC and sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 18A, 18B, 20, 38, 39 & 40 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

These eight accused persons are as follows :

i. Anand Teltumbde, r/o Dadar (E), Mumbai.
ii. Gautam Navlakha, r/o, Kalkaji, South Delhi, New Delhi.
iii. Hany Babu, r/o Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
iv. Sagar Gorkhe, r/o Wakad, Pune, Maharashtra.
v. Ramesh Gaichor, r/o Jai Jawan Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra.
vi. Jyoti Jagtap, r/o Shivneri, Kondhwa, Maharashtra.
vii. Stan Swamy, r/o Ranchi, Jharkhand.
viii. Milind Teltumbde, r/o Wani, Yavatmal, Maharashtra.

The accused persons have maintained that they are innocent and that there is no evidence to prove that they incited people for violence or its conspiracy.

According to NIA, the case is about inciting people and giving provocative speeches during Elgar Parishad organized at Shaniwarwada, Pune by the activists of Kabir Kala Manch on 31.12.2017, which promoted enmity between various caste groups and led to violence resulting in loss of life & property in the State of Maharashtra. During the investigation, it was revealed that senior leaders of CPI (Maoist), a proscribed terrorist organisation were in contact with the organizers 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.

The Pune Police had earlier filed two chargesheets in this case on 15.11.2018 and 21.02.2019 against fifteen accused persons. The NIA took up the investigation of the case on 24.01.2020. Through meticulous, scientific and detailed analysis of more than 10,000 pages of communications made by various accused, reliable oral, documentary and material evidence was brought on record. NIA’s investigation revealed that the tentacles of the conspiracy were not only spread throughout the country but also extended beyond India.

The NIA said, “The incriminating documents recovered from the accused include their discreet communications with other Maoist cadres regarding conspiracy related to a violent incident of Bhima Koregaon as a part of their well chalked-out strategy. It also included various documents regarding mobilisation against the Constitutionally established Government by the Maoist cadres, information about the movement of the security forces with an intention to cause heavy damage to the State. Discreet codes were used for secret communication amongst themselves to avoid detection by security forces regarding their conspiracy and planning.

The investigation also revealed a systematic network of Maoists operating for the supply of arms & ammunitions having close nexus with other banned proscribed organisation within & outside India. The Strategy & Tactics adopted by Maoists to carry out so-called urban revolution with their frontal outfits has also been revealed during the investigation. Besides this, funding activities of Maoist cadres & their sympathisers to carry out Maoist work in rural as well urban areas came to the fore.

NIA investigation revealed that the accused persons viz. Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, Hany Babu, Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap and Stan Swamy conspired with other accused persons to further the ideology of terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist) and abetted violence, brought into hatred & incited disaffection towards the Government established by law and promoted enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, caste and community. The absconding accused Milind Teltumbde also organised training camps for imparting weapons training to other accused persons.

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 on 31/12/2017 i.e. where Elgar Parishad Programme was organized. 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 & 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 & 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 & 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 the country, particularly in Maharashtra has caused 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 organization 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.

The role of various frontal organizations of CPI (Maoist) has also emerged during investigation. It has been established that the members of CPI (Maoist) were using these organizations to further their agenda.

The above mentioned supplementary chargesheet comprises more than 10,000 pages. Further investigation in the case is continued.”

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