PUNE: City police commissioner K Venkatesham said on Thursday the police have scientifically collected and analysed evidence which will be used against the arrested
human rights activists and lawyers at an appropriate time in court.
Asked whether the Supreme Court’s order directing the activists to be placed under house arrest till September 6 was an embarrassment for the police, Venkatesham said, “The SC has given us time. We will file an affidavit, along with evidence, in SC and try to convince it why these arrests were necessary. We have taken only evidence-based, professional action in this case.”
On Wednesday, the Delhi high court had been on the verge of ordering the release of
Gautam Navlakha, one of the five activists, when the SC order came.
Asked about the Delhi HC’s observation that the evidence was not sufficient to warrant arrest, Venkatesham said, “Whatever was required for securing a transit remand was placed before the appropriate court. Otherwise, we have lot of evidence in the matter.”
Venkatesham was speaking to reporters in the context of several “incriminating” letters which the police claim to have seized as evidence during raids over the last four months. It is the police’s case that the arrested activists were in contact with the banned CPI (Maoist) leaders and were part of a conspiracy to overthrow the government.
“We have decoded all seized communication and have done a scientific and forensic examination of the pen drives, hard disks and other electronic devices,” he said.
“Many incriminating communications and evidence have come out which detail sending students to the interiors (jungles) for training, mobilising money, and holding discussions on weapons, the people to be authorised to purchase these weapons and how they will be moved, besides more violent acts against security forces and other functionaries,” Venkatesham said.
District government pleader Ujjwala Pawar had cited these letters in court while arguing for custodial remand of activists P
Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira on Wednesday.
One of the letters that she read out suggested a plot by the CPI (Maoist) outfit to execute a “Rajiv Gandhitype incident” and a plan to “end the Modi-raj” while another letter suggested that Rao was the authorised person to communicate with suppliers in Nepal and Manipur for procurement of arms, including an M-4
assault rifle.
When reporters told Venkatesham that the letters read out by Pawar did not carry any IP address or email trail, he said, “Whatever is necessary will be submitted in the court.”
Venkatesham produced an M-4 rifle catalogue from his file and displayed it to reporters, saying, “Evidence shows that discussions were held with the person authorised to procure weapons, how the procurement was to be made, what ammunition would be required and from where the weapons should be sourced.”
The police chief said the investigators have verified the role of each arrested activist. P Varavara Rao, Gonsalves and Ferreira were taken back to their residences in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Thane, respectively, and were placed under house arrest on Thursday.
