In a sensational development in the Bheema Koregaon case, the NIA claimed that urban Naxal Gautam Navlakha was recruited by Pakistan’s ISI.
In its 10,000 pages charge sheet, NIA states that Navlakha was introduced to a Pakistani ISI General for his recruitment by ISI agent Ghulam Nabi Fai on Pakistan’s intelligence agency, Republic TV reported.
Fai was arrested by the FBI in 2011.
Navlakha had visited the USA thrice to participate in the Kashmiri American Council Conference organized by Fai. He was in touch with the ISI agent via email and telephone.
Fai was arrested by the FBI in July 2011 for accepting funds from ISI and Pakistan Government, but failed to report the origin of those funds, as required by US law.
Navlakha had also written a letter to the Judge of a US court trying Fai’s case for clemency, NIA claimed.
The charges against Navlakha, in Bheema Koregaon case, were filed under sections 120B, 115, 121, 121A, 124A, 153A, 201, 505(1)(b) and 34 of IPC and sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 18A, 18B, 20, 38, 39 & 40 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The same charges were also filed against seven other persons – Anand Teltumbde, Stan Swamy, Kabir Kala Manch members Hany Babu, Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap, and Maoist Milind Teltumbde.
If they are convicted of waging war against India, these activists would face a death sentence or life imprisonment.
The charges were filed after the NIA picked up an 83-year-old Jesuit priest and activist Stan Swamy from his Ranchi home.
The NIA had taken over the case on January 24 after Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra planned to review the case.
Soon after, on February 3, the NIA registered an FIR in the Elgar Parishad case charging 11 people under the provisions of the anti-terror law UAPA and several IPC sections.
Pune police had booked activists Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, P Varavara Rao, Navlakha, Anand Teltumbde for allegedly inciting Bheema Koregaon violence through their speech at the Elgar Parishad meeting on 31 December 2017, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
On January 1, 2018, violence had erupted at Koregaon-Bheema village in Pune district where supporters had gathered in the village to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bheema Koregaon.
The ensuing violence had resulted in the death of one person and several others had been injured – 152 have been arrested.
These activists also have been charged with conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, overthrow the government, and waging war against the Indian government.