Police officers stand in Pune (Ravindra Joshi/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)Pune police searched the homes of prominent Naxal sympathisers and activists connected to the infamous ‘Elgar Parishad’ in various cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad, on Tuesday morning (28 August) Indian Express has reported.
The Elgar Parishad was linked to the violence that occurred in Bhima Koregaon in January. Police claim that speeches made during the Elgaar Parishad meeting had triggered the violence during the bicentennial celebration of Bhima Koregaon battle.
Pune police told the media that searches were being conducted at the residences of Gautam Navlakha in Delhi, writer and activist P Varavara Rao in Hyderabad, activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in Mumbai, lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj in Delhi, and activist Stan Swamy in Ranchi. ‘Urban Naxals’ are intellectuals in prominent public positions who tacitly support the Naxal ideology.
During the investigation on Bhima Koregaon violence, a letter plotting the assassination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also revealed. Five persons including Rona Wilson have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in June. Pune police had claimed that they got 25,000 GB data from the five arrested persons. The cops are scrutinising the data.
“While scrutinising the data, the names of the persons surfaced who were closely associated with the arrested persons, and they are active in Maoists activities in various parts of the country. Since very strong links have been found of the arrested persons with the other persons, the searches are being conducted at their residences”. a police officer told DNA on the condition of anonymity.
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