Elgar case: NIA submits draft charges against 15

MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday submitted before a special court draft charges against 15 accused in the Elgar Parishad case.
The accused were earlier booked for charges relating to sedition and terror activities. The court will now hear arguments on the draft charges from both the prosecution and defence and then decide what charges, if any, are to be framed against them. "The draft charges are as good as opening the prosecution's case. Now we have to hear them on which sections are attracted or not..." the court stated.
The NIA has alleged that the December 31, 2017, Elgar Parishad at Shaniwarwada, Pune, was funded by the banned CPI (Maoist) as part of a conspiracy to create unrest. The agency alleged that provocative speeches by Kabir Kala Manch activists led to the January 1, 2018, caste clashes at Koregaon Bhima.
During Monday's hearing, the defence sought a copy of the discharge plea submitted by special public prosecutor Prakash Shetty. The prosecution said that the charges were based on the evidence in chargesheet already submitted.