Bhima Koregaon case: NIA files charge-sheet against 8 accused including Gautam Navlakha, Hany Babu

Mumbai: In Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a supplementary charge sheet against eight accused persons in Special Court here on Friday (October 9) 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.

The eight accused persons against whom the supplementary charge sheet has been filed are:

1. Anand Teltumbde, r/o Dadar (E), Mumbai.
2. Gautam Navlakha, r/o, Kalkaji, South Delhi, New Delhi.
3. Hany Babu, r/o Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
4. Sagar Gorkhe, r/o Wakad, Pune, Maharashtra.
5. Ramesh Gaichor, r/o Jai Jawan Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra.
6. Jyoti Jagtap, r/o Shivneri, Kondhawa, Maharashtra.
7. Stan Swamy, r/o Ranchi, Jharkhand.
8. Milind Teltumbde. r/o Wani, Yavatmal, Maharashtra.

The case pertains to inciting people and giving provocative speeches by the activists of Kabir Kala Manch during Elgar Parishad meet at Shaniwarwada in Pune on December 31, 2017, that promoted enmity between various caste groups. This led to violence resulting in loss of life and property in Maharashtra, according to NIA. 

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During the investigation, it was revealed that senior leaders of CPI (Maoist) were in contact with the organizers of Elgar Parishad as well as the accused arrested in the case.

Earlier, the Pune Police had filed two charge-sheets in this case on November 15, 2018, and February 21, 2019, against 15 accused persons.

The NIA took up the case for investigation on January 24 and went through more than 10,000 pages of communications made by various accused, reliable oral, documentary and material evidence was brought on record. The investigation revealed that the tentacles of the conspiracy were not only spread throughout the country but also extended beyond India.

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 and ammunitions having close nexus with other banned proscribed organisation within and outside India. It also revealed that the accused persons: Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, Hany Babu, Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap and Stan Swamy, conspired with other accused to further the ideology of CPI (Maoist) and abetted violence, and promoted enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, caste and community. 

The absconding 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, where Elgar Parishad Programme was organized. 

Anand Teltumbde played an active role with other Maoist cadres and received funds from them for carrying out the activities. 

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 the 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 GN 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. They attended meetings for the organisation of Elgar Parishad programme with other co-accused as a part of well chalked out conspiracy. 

Stan Swamy, who is a CPI (Maoist) cadre, 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 to extend activities of CPI (Maoist).