Police sources said the alleged arms deal was discovered during probe into a letter dated April 18, 2017, allegedly recovered from accused Rona Wilson’s laptop. (File photo)Operatives of the banned CPI-Maoist had allegedly struck a deal with arms suppliers across the border with the help of a top leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), according to the Pune city police’s probe into alleged Maoist links of the accused arrested in the Elgaar Parishad case.
On Friday, the Pune city police submitted an application before a special court, seeking extension of 90 days for further investigation against four accused: Sudha Bharadwaj, P Varavara Rao, Arun Ferriera and Vernon Gonsalves, who were arrested along with Gautam Navlakha on August 28, alleging that they were part of a larger conspiracy of the banned CPI-Maoist to overthrow the Indian government.
The application states, “…there is intense correspondence between the present accused and earlier arrested accused as well as with underground Naxalites. That, from the said correspondence, it appears that comrade M D Siraj has struck a deal with arm suppliers across the border. Comrade Basanta, politburo member and secretary of the newly formed revolutionary Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), facilitated this deal… It is further revealed from the said letter that, as per the deal, Rs 8 crore would be required for the supply of M-4 weapons and four lakh rounds.”
Police sources said the alleged arms deal was discovered during probe into a letter dated April 18, 2017, allegedly recovered from accused Rona Wilson’s laptop. Police claimed the same letter had revealed the alleged Maoist plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a “Rajiv Gandhi-type incident.” Also, the same letter stated that “on April 20, we will organise another programme under the banner ‘Committee for the defence and release of G N Saibaba’”.
Accordingly, to check the veracity of the letter, Pune city police visited the Press Club of India in New Delhi in July and collected details like booking slip and other information about a press conference called on April 20 by a group campaigning for the release of Delhi University Professor Saibaba. Police said Wilson was allegedly one of the members of the committee that had called this press conference.
The police application has alleged that Varavara Rao was authorised to smuggle the weapons from Nepal and Manipur.
