By Philip Varghese and Narendra Gupta. Photograph by Santosh Gupta
The Pune Police’s investigation into the Bhima Koregaon violence, which erupted in January this year when Dalits clashed with upper-class Marathas, subsequently led to evidence revealing an alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi
In an interesting development, the Pune police, on Tuesday, conducted multi-city raids in a crackdown on alleged Maoists sympathisers, with raids being conducted on at least nine activists for their alleged links with Maoists. Following the raids which also were conducted Thane, the police arrested at least five people - Varavara Rao, Arun Pereira, Varnan Gonsalves, Gautam Navlakha and Sudha Bharadwaj – in connection with a probe based on the investigation in the Bhima Koregaon violence.
According to sources, the Pune Police’s investigation into the Bhima Koregaon violence, which erupted in January this year when Dalits clashed with upper-class Marathas, subsequently led to evidence revealing an alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Pune Police on Tuesday conducted raids at Mumbai, Ranchi, Hyderabad, Faridabad, Delhi and Thane. This is the second such crackdown after Police conducted raids in June in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case.
In Mumbai, the Pune Crime Branch arrested 52 year-old Arun Ferreira from Thane in connection to the case. Ferreira was picked up from his residence at Sheran Co-operative Housing Society at Charai area in Thane.
Police sources said, the Pune crime branch first raided his house and questioned him till noon before arresting him. The raids were also carried out in five to six locations across the country including Mumbai, Thane, Ranchi, Delhi, Hydrabad and Goa.
Without divulging much information to the media, sources in Thane and Pune police said that on being questioned, it was revealed that Ferreira was involved in some suspicious work with the Maoists. Thereafter, they arrested him and took him to Pune for further investigation for his alleged role in the matter. The police also seized laptop, books, pendrive from his residence. The police will send the laptop for further investigation and will also probe on his Gmail ID.
According to police sources, Arun Ferreira is an active member of Nashik and Nagpur student council. He had been arrested six years back by the Pune police. The police also arrested Vernon Gonsalves from Mumbai.
The Police also arrested Maoist ideologue and revolutionary writer Professor Varavara Rao from his residence in Hyderabad in connection with his alleged involvement with the purported assassination plot of PM Modi. A Hyderabad court on Tuesday afternoon, granted the transit remand for Rao to be taken to Pune.
Another alleged Maoist sympathiser, human rights activist Gautam Navlakha was arrested from New Delhi. However, he filed a Habeus Corpus plea with the Delhi High Court pertaining to his arrest. Following the hearing, the Delhi High Court issued a stay on his transit remand to Pune, ordering Navlakha to be detained at his Delhi home on Tuesday, with two guards posted at his residence.
The police also arrested Sudha Bhardwaj from Faridabad.
Varavara Rao was arrested from Hyderabad and Sudha Bhardwaj was picked up from Faridabad. All the accused have been booked under sections 153 A, 505(1) B,117,120 B,13,16,18,20,38,39,40 and UAPA.