The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said Tuesday it has arrested an associate professor of English of Delhi University, Hany Babu Musaliyarveettil Tharayil, 54, in connection with the Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad case.
The case relates to inciting people and giving provocative speeches during an Elgar Parishad event organised by the Kabir Kala Manch at Shaniwarwada in Pune on December 31, 2017, which promoted enmity between various caste groups and led to violence resulting in loss of life and property and statewide agitation in Maharashtra, an NIA spokesperson said.
On September 11, 2019, the Pune police had searched his house in connection with the Elgar Parishad case. The Pune Police filed a charge sheet and a supplementary charge sheet in this case on November 15, 2018 and February 2, 2019 respectively.
The spokesperson said that during investigation, the NIA found 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 Hany Babu to spread the ideology of Maoism/Naxalism and encourage unlawful activities.
The NIA took up the investigation of the case on January 24 this year and arrested two other accused – Anand Teltumbde and Gautam Navlakha – on April 14.
“During further investigation, it was revealed that accused Hany Babu Musaliyarveettil Tharayil was propagating Naxal activities and Maoist ideology and was a co-conspirator with other arrested accused,” the NIA spokesperson said.
