The Bombay High Court on Monday rejected the bail plea filed by Delhi professor Hany Babu accused in the Bhima Koregaon caste violence case.
A Division Bench of Justices N.M. Jamdar and N.R. Borkar was hearing an appeal filed by Prof. Babu after the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court rejected his plea.
The Central agency had opposed his bail in court by saying he is accused of overthrowing the government, waging a war against the government and armed revolution.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for NIA, had said that communication from co-accused Arun Ferreira to the Central Committee of Communist Party of Brazil (Red Faction) was found on Prof Babu’s computer.
“Arun Ferreira sent a letter to Hany Babu saying ‘We sent you a new issue of People’s March Magazine please post it using the method proposed last time. Please post it on the Maoist group from some new id’. Letter from Brazil and Nepal found on Hany Babu’s laptop because he had responsibility for international coordination of CPI (Maoist). Letters about terrorist attacks by Varavara Rao to all comrades found on Hany Babu’s laptop. Letter referring to RDF (Revolutionary Democratic Front), the frontal organisation of CPI (Maoist),” he listed.
Prof. Babu’s bail plea was rejected by the special NIA court in February this year. He was arrested on July 28, 2020 and a search was conducted at his residence in Uttar Pradesh. Various electronic articles and incriminating documents were seized from him.
On January 24, 2020, the NIA had re-registered a case relating to 11 arrested persons for inciting people and giving provocative presentation and speeches on December 31, 2017 during the Elgar Parishad organised by the activists of the Kabir Kala Manch at Shaniwarwada, Pune, which promoted enmity between the caste groups and led to violence resulting in loss of life and Statewide agitation, according to the agency.
Initially, the Vishram Baug Police Station registered a case and arrested Sudhir Dhawale, Shoma Sen, Rona Wilson, Mr. Ferreira, Varavara Rao, Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, Mahesh Raut, Sudha Bharadwaj, Vernon Gonsalves and Surendra Gadling.
