Seventy-nine former Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellows (PMRDFs) have come in support of Mahesh Raut, their former colleague in Gadchiroli, arrested by the Maharashtra police on Wednesday for alleged Maoist links and involvement in organising Elgar Parishad in Pune last year after which riots took place in Bhima Koregaon area.
Terming Mr. Raut’s arrest “a hasty action by the police, done haphazardly and wrongful on many accounts”, the PMRDFs have demanded his unconditional and immediate release.
“He has been one of the best performing PMRDFs who served in Gadchiroli district... for two years in close coordination with the district administration... He comes from a very humble background... His commitment to public good and social welfare above personal gains has always secured him respect and adoration amongst his peers and community,” the statement read.
They claimed that Mr. Raut has neither attended the Pune Elgar Parishad nor was a part of the organising committee.
‘No court order’
“So it’s a pertinent question to ask how Mahesh has been named as an accused in this case. Neither was he named in the primary chargesheet nor was there any order from the competent court to search his premises. All the action against Mahesh is solely based on a complaint from a private individual,” they said.
Accusing the police of constantly harassing Mr. Raut since 2013, his former colleagues claimed that raids on his house and detention had become common in the last few months because of his work with Bharat Jan Andolan, an organisation started by late IAS officer B.D Sharma .