According to senior Pune Police officials, a three-member team led by an officer of the rank of superintendent, handed over a letter to Pune Commissioner of Police K Venkatesham. The contents of the letter are not verifiable, but police sources believe, it requested handover of the case.
Pune police informed the NIA team that documents related to case, along with letters written by activists, being presented as evidence in court, will be handed over pending the official order from the Director General of Police, Maharashtra, top police sources, requesting anonymity said.
“Yes, the NIA team came to meet us and handed over a letter,” said a senior Pune police official.
Pune police have so far arrested nine activists and have filed two chargesheets, along with draft charges.
The Pune Police have accused the activists of delivering speeches at the Elgar Parishad conclave on December 31, 2017 , that “aggravated” violence at Koregaon Bhima the next day. The police claim that the conclave was organised by people with links to the banner Maoist organisation.
Those arrested include, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Varavara Rao. All are accused of alleged Maoist links.
The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the IPC and also Uapa, the anti-terror law.
Prasanta Patnaik