Bhima Koregaon case: NIA arrests 3 Kabir Kala Manch members from Pune

The arrested accused were produced before the NIA Special Court in Mumbai on Tuesday and four-day custody was granted to the NIA for interrogation.

Image courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency has arrested three persons including a woman in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case. The arrested accused were produced before the NIA Special Court in Mumbai on Tuesday (September 8) and four-day custody was granted to the NIA for interrogation.

The arrested persons are Sagar Tatyaram Gorkhe, 32 years, is a resident of Wakad, Pune; Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor, 36 years, resident of Yervada, Pune, Maharashtra; and Jyoti Raghoba Jagtap, 33 years, resident of Kondwa, Pune, Maharashtra, according to the NIA. 

The accused, Sagar Tatyaram Gorkhe and Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor were arrested on Monday, while Jyoti Raghoba Jagtap was taken into custody on Tuesday. They are members of Kabir Kala Manch a frontal organization of banned terrorist organization CPI (Maoist), said NIA.

They have been arrested under section 153(A), 505(1)(b),117,120(B), 121,121 (A), 124(A), and 34 of IPC, Sections 13,16, 17,18, 18 (B), 20, 38, 39 and 40 of the UA (P) Act. 

​The case relates to an Elgar Parishad event of December 31, 2017, organised by the Kabir Kala Manch at Shaniwarwada in Pune, where alleged provocative speeches were made, promoting enmity between various caste groups and leading to violence resulting in the loss of life and property and a statewide 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 so as to spread the ideology of Maoism/Naxalism and encourage unlawful activities.

The Pune Police filed chargesheet and a supplementary chargesheet in this case on November 15, 2018, and February 21, 2019, respectively. The above mentioned accused persons are named accused in the FIR.

The NIA took up the investigation of the case on January 24 this year and arrested accused Anand Teltumbde and Gautam Navlakha on April 14, 2020, while Hanybabu Musaliyavirtil Tarayil was arrested on July 28, 2020.

​During the investigation, 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. They were also in contact with absconding accused Milind Teltumbde about Urban network of CPI (Maoist). 

It is established that during their visits to Kabir Kala Manch members in the jungle, they underwent weapon and explosive training and awareness programme on various topics related to the Maoist movement.

It has also been 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.