The National Investigation Agency has served notice to Viplava Rachayitala Sangham (Virasam) executive body member Kranthi Tekula in connection with 2018 Bhima-Koregaon case.
Mr. Kranthi, who earlier worked in a popular Telugu newspaper, was asked to come to NIA’s Hyderabad regional office on July 13, where the officials served him the notice in-person.
The notice served by the central agency stated that he must appear before the investigating team at NIA office in Mumbai on July 24 for questioning.
“They served me notice and asked me to appear in the Mumbai office. Except the case number and name of the Superintendent of Police investigating the case, whom I should go and meet, nothing is mentioned in the notice,” Mr. Kranthi told The Hindu.
Apart from poet and activist Varavara Rao and his two daughters houses, the Pune police also searched Mr. Kranthi house in August 2018. Sources said that the agency is likely to serve more notices to the key members of Virasam, as they believe they were in ‘close’ contact with Mr. Varavara Rao.
“After questioning Mr. Kranthi, we might call more people to our office in connection with the case,” an officer said on condition of anonymity. Mr. Varavara Rao and several others were booked by the Pune police for alleged provocative speeches during the ‘Elgar Parishad’, an event held on December 31, 2017, to commemorate a military victory of Dalits against the Peshwa army 200 years earlier.
A day later, on January 1, 2018, violent clashes between Dalit and Maratha groups during the celebrations. The investigators believe that alleged provocative speeches made during Elgar Parishad led to the violence next day.
In January this year, the NIA took over the investigation.