New Delhi, Feb 11 (UNI) The Left parties on Thursday demanded dropping of charges against those arrested in alleged connection with Bhima Koregaon case as a media report, quoting US investigation, claimed files and documents were transferred into the computer of an accused through hacking.

The media report has cited an investigation by a forensic lab of the United States, which claimed that the computer of one of the accused in Bhima Koregaon case--Rona Wilson--was hacked prior to his arrest and questionable files and documents were electronically transferred, without the information of the user.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) demanded an SIT probe from the Maharashtra government, as well as dropping of all charges against the accused.

'The Politburo of CPI(M) demands dropping of cases against activists arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case and asks the Maharashtra government to set up an SIT to enquire into the developments exposed by the credible reports of international experts as to how evidence was manufactured and planted in the computer of one of the activists Rona Wilson," the CPI (M) said in a statement here.

Calling hacking as a 'deadly technological weapon', the CPI (M) alleged that the Modi government was using this against political opponents.

'It will be recalled that it was these mails, which were claimed by the NIA to be part of the 'conspiracy',' the party said.

It alleged that the crime was conducted by the government to suppress the voices and harass the sympathisers.

'The Communist Party of India notes with pain and anguish that latest revelations show that cases were filed in the Bhima Koregaon case based on planted and manipulated documents put into the computers.

'Despite that, the authorities are continuing to harass the activists, intellectuals, Dalit activists and sympathisers, under the allegation that a conspiracy has been hatched by them,' it added.

UNI PS RJ 2228