Pune: Director General of Police (DGP) Satish Mathur on Saturday said that police have concrete evidence against the five persons arrested (for their alleged Maoist links in organising the Elgar Parishad).
He was speaking to media on the sidelines of a welfare programme at Pune rural police headquarters on Pashan Road. He also participated in bhoomipujan of a CBSE school for children of police personnel.
When asked about letters circulating on social media that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis may be targeted by the Maoists, the DGP added, “They (Maoists) may have circulated the letters. We have taken measures to increase CM’s security (after the letters were found).”
On objections by certain people and groups over the arrests, Mathur said, “Had we taken action (encounter) against any of them, then these people should have objected. But we have arrested them and put up the case in the court. Whoever has any objection can go the court (for grievance redressal).”
Six months after violence during the bicentennial celebration of the Battle of Koregaon-Bhima on January 1, the Pune city police on June 6 arrested five persons.
The arrested include a Nagpur University professor and a former Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellow, calling them ‘top urban Maoist operatives’ who participated in or were behind Elgaar Parishad meeting (on December 31 at Shaniwarwada) where the speeches made were alleged incitement to violence.
An FIR about the speeches is registered with the Vishrambaug police station. The police have now added provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case.
Those arrested by Pune police from different locations are Elgaar Parishad organiser Sudhir Dhawale, leader of Mumbai-based Republican Panthers Jati Antachi Chalwal (RP); Delhi-based activist Rona Wilson of Committee for Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP); Nagpur lawyer Surendra Gadling of Indian Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL); Nagpur University professor Shoma Sen; and Mahesh Raut, a former Prime Minister’s Rural Development (PMRD) Fellow. A special court has remanded them to police custody till June 14.
After the arrests, Pune’s Joint Commissioner of Police Ravindra Kadam said funds from banned CPI (Maoist) were supplied to those involved in organising the Elgaar Parishad.
