Data analyst and human rights activist Anand Teltumbde on Saturday refuted the Maharashtra police claim that he had attended a convention in Paris which was allegedly funded by Maoists and dismissed as ‘outrageous’ charges of having links with Naxals.
Mr. Teltumbde, who teaches at a management institute in Goa, was among the activists and lawyers whose homes were searched by the Pune police on August 28 on suspicion that they had links with Maoists.
‘Nothing secret’
“These are all false allegations to malign and defame my image. I don’t know any Maoist leader and I am not having any relation with this,” Mr. Teltumbde told PTI over the phone.
“I keep going abroad for academic conferences. It is all on official invitations and everything is well documented,” he said.
Five activists were arrested following the searches and they have been placed under house arrest till September 6 as per a Supreme Court direction. Mr. Teltumbde was not home at the time of the searches and has not been arrested.
At a press briefing here Friday, the Maharashtra Police had cited a letter, allegedly written by one “Comrade Prakash”, that mentions about arranging funds for a human rights convention attended by “Comrade Anand” in Paris. However, the police did not say when the convention was held.
Dismissing these charges, Teltumbde said, “Police should think before levelling allegation; they should see my background, the work I which I did. I don’t have time to do all these things,” he said, adding “this is all outrageous”.
Mr. Teltumbde accused the police of harassing activists. “Only because the police have rights and they will do anything they want, this is not done,” he said.
