Elgaar Parishad case: Police ask for extension in filing charge sheet

Representational Image

The Pune City police on Thursday moved an application for extension in filing of charge sheet against the four arrested in the Elgaar Parishad case. The police have said the suspects had planned to end Modi-raj, and have approached the Mumbai police to seek reports related to past cases against them.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Pune, Shivaji Pawar via Government District Pleader Ujjwala Pawar moved an application to Special Judge Kishor Wadane under the Unlawful Activity Prevention Act (UAPA) for an extension of 90 days for investigation and filing the charge sheet against Vernon Gonsalves, a resident of Andheri, Arun Ferreira from Thane, professor and lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj from Faridabad and writer and Maoist ideologue P Varavara Rao from Hyderabad, who was brought to Pune on Sunday and arrested under sections 121 (wagging war) and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code.

The four, suspected to be part of banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), were produced before the court on Friday. The Elgaar Parishad was held at Shaniwarwada in Pune on December 31 last year ahead of the 200th commemoration of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon.

The next day, January 1, when lakhs of people gathered at the Koregaon Bhima village near Pune, large-scale violence took place killing one Maratha youth and damaging property worth crores. Defence lawyers Rohan Nahar, Siddharth Patil and Rahul Deshmukh have sought time to respond. Judge Wadane has granted them time up to Monday.

Nexus with Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
The police have also mentioned in their application about a nexus of CPI (Maoist) with the newly-formed Communist party of Nepal. Rona Wilson, lawyer Surendra Gadling and Shoma Sen were in contact with the present accused and earlier arrested persons and underground Maoists.

"From one of their correspondences, it appears that comrade M D Siraj has struck a deal with some arm suppliers across the border. Comrade Basanta, politbureau member and secretary of the party in Nepal has facilitated this deal and Siraj is waiting for an apt time to cross the border," a police officer said.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates