Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad Case: NIA Arrests Accused Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap
NIA Special Court at Mumbai has remanded accused to four days NIA custody for further investigation
Mubarak Ansari
Pune, September 8, 2020: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) yesterday arrested accused Sagar Tatyaram Gorkhe (32), resident of Wakad and Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor (36) of Yerwada, in connection with Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad case. Today, the central agency arrested Jyoti Raghoba Jagtap, (33) of Kondhwa. They are members of Kabir Kala Manch a frontal organization of banned terrorist organization CPI (Maoist), NIA said.
They have been charged for offences under sections 153(A), 505(1)(b),117,120(B), 121,121 (A), 124(A), and 34 of Indian Penal Code (IPC), Sections 13,16, 17,18, 18 (B), 20, 38, 39 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
This case arose out of Vishrambaug police station under Pune city police, case number 04/2018 regarding inciting people and giving provocative speeches during Elgar Parishad organized at Shaniwarwada, by the activists of Kabir Kala Manch on 31.12.2017, which allegedly promoted enmity between various caste groups and led to violence resulting in loss of life and property and state-wide agitation in Maharashtra. During the investigation, it was revealed that senior leaders of CPI (Maoist), an organisation banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, were in contact with the organizers of Elgar Parishad as well as the accused arrested in the case to spread the ideology of Maoism/Naxalism and encourage unlawful activities, the NIA said.
The Pune Police filed charge-sheet and a supplementary charge-sheet in this case on 15.11.2018 and 21.02.2019 respectively. The above mentioned accused persons namely Sagar Tatyaram Gorkhe, Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor and Jyoti Raghoba Jagtap are FIR named accused persons.
NIA took up the investigation of the case on 24.01.2020 and arrested accused Anand Teltumbde and Gautam Navlakha on 14.04.2020. Further, accused Hanybabu Musaliyavirtil Tarayil was arrested on 28/07/2020.
During further investigation, NIA said, it was revealed that accused Sagar Tatyaram Gorkhe, Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor and Jyoti Raghoba Jagtap were propagating Naxal activities and Maoist ideology and were co-conspirators with other arrested accused. It has also come on record that the arrested accused persons were in contact with absconding accused Milind Teltumbde about the urban network of CPI (Maoist). Also, it is established that during their visits (of Kabir Kala Munch, members) in the jungle, they underwent weapon & explosive training and awareness programme on various topics related to Maoist movement.
“It is also established that as per the evidence on record that in June 2018 absconding accused Milind Teltumbde discussed the Elgar Parishad Programme which was organized at Pune and the subsequent in-roads made by the CPI (Maoist) in the organization and execution through the members of Kabir Kala Munch and other frontal organizations”, the agency said.
Today, the arrested accused persons were produced before the NIA Special Court at Mumbai and the court remanded them to four days NIA custody for further investigation.
