NIA arrests DU associate professor in Bhima Koregaon case for Red Terrorism

National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested an associate professor of Delhi University in connection with Bhima Koregaon case. He will be produced before a special court in Mumbai today.

The accused has been identified as Hany Babu Musaliyarveettil Tharayil, a resident of Gautam Buddha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. Son of Kunju Muhammad, Hany Babu originally hails from Thrissur, Kerala.

Hany Babu was arrested for “Naxal activities and Maoist ideology” in a case pertaining to the Bhima Koregaon riots of 2018. The accused has been arrested under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

In a statement, NIA said that the case arose out of a case registered in Pune regarding inciting people and giving provocative speeches during Elgar Parishad organized by the activists of Kabir Kala Manch at Shaniwarwada, Pune on December 31, 2017 which promoted enmity between various caste groups and led to violence resulting in loss of life & property and State-wide agitation in Maharashtra.

“During investigation, it was revealed 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 the accused arrested in the case to spread the ideology of Maoism/Naxalism and encourage unlawful activities,” the agency said.

“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 said.

The Pune police filed a charge sheet and a supplementary charge sheet in the case on November 15, 2018 and February 21, 2019 respectively.