The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the Bhima Koregaon violence case of 2018 has submitted draft charges before the NIA court against 15 accused and six absconding accused.
According to the NIA, “All accused are members of the banned terrorist organisation whose main object is to establish ‘Janata Sarkar’ i.e people’s government via revolution supported by a commitment to protracted armed struggle to undermine and to seize power from the State.”
“They have committed, abetted and assisted in the commission of Unlawful Activities with intent to threaten the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of India with intent to strike terror in the people, any section of the people in India and in the State of Maharashtra by using explosive substance like logistics, wires, nails, nitrate powder, and possessing and transporting sophisticated weapons like Chinese QLZ 87 Automatic Grenade Launcher and Russian GM-94 Grenade Launcher and M-4 with 4,00,000 rounds which by its very nature was to cause or likely to cause death or injuries to any person or persons or loss of or damage to or destruction of properties and was an attempt to do or cause death of public functionary,” the NIA contends.
The draft charges were submitted before a special judge D.E. Kothalikar against Sudhir Dhawale , Rona Wilson , Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bharadwaj , Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, Hany Babu, late Father Stan Swamy , Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor and Jyoti Jagtap. There are six absconding/wanted accused — Milind Teltumbde, Comrade Prakash, Comrade Manglu, Comrade Deepu, Kishan alias Prashanta Bose and Mupalla Rao.
The NIA mentions the accused, “engaged to wage war, attempted to wage war and abetted waging war against the Government of India and the Government of Maharashtra and thereby committed the offence punishable under Section 121 of the Indian Penal Code.” These draft charges were submitted earlier this month and the special NIA court will soon frame charges against all accused.
Also Read : Understanding Bhima Koregaon
The Central agency points out, “They are all members of banned terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and as per the First Schedule i.e. Communist Party of India (Maoist) and its formations and frontal organisations viz Anuradha Ghandy Memorial Committee, Kabir Kala Manch, Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Committee, Committee for Release of Political Prisoners, Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights, Peoples Union for Democratic Rights, Co-ordination of Democratic Rights Organisation, Democratic Students Union, Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan, Revolutionary Writers Association.”
The accused have conspired, “To incite the people and create violence and to spread disaffection towards the government established by Law and to commit illegal act with the intention to further activities, to commit conspiracy or attempt to commit or advocate, abet, or incite the people to create public disorder with intent to threaten the unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of India. To shake and reduce the faith of common citizen in its elected democratic government by largescale violence destruction of lives and properties and thereby destabilise the system of government established by Law, to spread secessionist and rebellious thought and to create instability in India by insurgent activities,” the NIA has submitted in court.
Published - August 23, 2021 01:56 pm IST
