Arrested in 2014, Arun Bhelke was sentenced to eight years in prison. (Express Photo) Convicted by a Pune court for his alleged links with the banned CPI-Maoist, Arun Bhelke has been released after completion of his jail term. He was released from Nagpur Central Prison on April 2 as per an order passed by Jail Officer Dayanand Sorte. Bhelke was arrested along with his wife Kanchan Nanaware from Kanhe Phata in Pune Rural by the Maharashtra State Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) in September 2014. They were later lodged at Yerwada Central Jail. Nanaware died on January 24, 2021, following a prolonged illness.
Bhelke and Nanaware, who hailed from Chandrapur district in Maharashtra, were initially members of the Deshbhakti Yuva Manch (DYM), an alleged Maoist front. They later allegedly joined armed CPI-Maoist cadres in the jungles of Gadchiroli and Gondia. According to ATS officials, they were later sent to the urban belts of Maharashtra by their party. Bhelke and Nanaware have lived in different places in Pune, Mumbai and Raigad under different aliases.
The ATS probe revealed that the couple had taken a room on rent at Khalapur in Raigad by signing an agreement under the names Akash Narayan Bhagat and Shital Akash Bhagat. The ATS had seized a PAN card and Aadhaar card bearing photographs of Bhelke and Nanaware, but with fake names.
As per the ATS chargesheet, Bhelke tried to indoctrinate and recruit youth from a Pune slum into the Maoist movement. The agency claimed to have seized several documents, handwritten papers and various electronic devices allegedly carrying secret Maoist communication, from the accused following their arrest.
During the trial, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar had referred to alleged CPI-Maoist documents such as ‘Strategic and Tactics of Indian Revolution’ and ‘Our Work in Urban Areas’, purportedly seized in this case. Pawar had argued that Bhelke was working as per the ‘cadre policy’ stated in Maoist strategy documents.
Pawar also argued that as per the ‘secret agenda’ stated in the strategy documents of CPI- Maoist, Bhelke worked as ‘PR (professional revolutionary)’ of the banned group in urban areas, using fake names and procuring fake identity cards.Defence counsels Rohan Nahar and Rahul Deshmukh had raised doubts about the seizure, with the former arguing there was nothing on record to show that
seized electronic devices were in exclusive possession or ownership of the accused.
In December 2022, Special Judge S R Navandar had sentenced Bhelke to eight years in prison after finding him guilty under sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 474 of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Bhelke was later shifted from Pune to Nagpur Central Prison. He was also acquitted in another case lodged against him in Gondia district. Earlier this week, he was released from prison after taking into account the time he has already been behind bars.