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Pune Police case against Anand Teltumbde is based on 5 letters, but none directly name him

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The letters allegedly refer to Anand Teltumbde as “Com. Anand” or “Anand T.”, and were recovered in raids at the houses of the other Bhima-Koregaon accused.

Mumbai: Five letters form the basis of the Pune Police’s attempts to make a case against civil rights activist and author Anand Teltumbde. The letters were allegedly intercepted by the police as part of raids linked to its probe into the Elgar Parishad and the Bhima-Koregaon violence on 1 January 2018.

None of these letters, however, directly identify Teltumbde, and contain alleged references to him as “Com. Anand”, “Anand T.” or simply “Anand”. Police sources also said the letters were not recovered from Teltumbde, but from raids at the residences of the other accused.

Teltumbde has categorically rejected allegations that he was associated with the CPI (Maoist). He has now written an open letter to the public, requesting for their support, saying he has shown integrity of the highest degree in his four-decade-long academic and corporate career, and never in his worst nightmares did he imagine that the state apparatus will turn against him and look at him as a criminal.

The open letter

The Supreme Court Monday refused to quash the FIR against Teltumbde for his alleged role in triggering last year’s violence at Bhima-Koregaon in Maharashtra. The apex court said it was not inclined to interfere at this stage, but gave Teltumbde an interim protection of four weeks to seek bail from the competent authority.

Teltumbde decided to reach out to the public after failing to get relief from the Bombay High Court as well as the apex court. In the letter, Teltumbde said: “Till now I felt confident that whatever charges the police levied could be proved as criminal fabrication once they landed before the court and hence I did not feel the need to bother you.

“But my hopes stand completely shattered and I am left with just seeking bail right from the sessions court in Pune, to the Supreme Court. The time has come to build a visible campaign in support of me from various sections of people so as to save me from imminent arrest.”


Also read: Author Anand Teltumbde seeks public help to prevent his arrest in Bhima-Koregaon case


Pune Police’s contention

The Pune Police have so far arrested nine persons — activists and advocates — in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence. One chargesheet has been filed while a second is expected to be filed in February.

The police have alleged that the accused are members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and have been actively trying to destabilise the society and overthrow the democratically-elected government.

While the police have not arrested Teltumbde, he has been named as an accused. In August 2018, the police also raided his house in Goa, where he teaches at the Goa Institute of Management.

The five letters

The five letters with which the police are trying to Teltumbde to the case are all part of the first chargesheet, and were also presented to the Bombay High Court to oppose his plea to scrap the FIR against him.

One letter, dated 6 April 2018, addressed to “Anand” from “Prakash”, talks about the former’s visit to Paris for a human rights convention on 9 and 10 April 2018, and the need to keep the fire ablaze. Another letter, dated 8 June 2017, from “Com. M” to “Com. Surendra” says “Com. Anand” had given good suggestions to involve students for an upcoming AGM meeting, which as per the police, stands for Anuradha Ghandy Memorial meeting, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Naxalbari movement.

“Anuradha Ghandy was a Central Committee Member of the Banned Terrorist Organization CPI (M) and a Trust was formed in her name. Organizing said programs directly amount to promoting and advocating the ideology of the banned terrorist organization (sic),” Assistant Commissioner of Police Shivaji Pawar, the investigating officer in the case, said in his affidavit to the Bombay High Court.

A third letter from “Sudarshan” to “SG”, which the police say refers to Surendra Gadling, a lawyer arrested in the case, portrays central and state forces as enemies and talks about “Com. Anand” personally overseeing matters related to a study circle involving students. Another letter talks about “Anand T.” receiving party funds from CPI (Maoist), while the fifth letter talks about last year’s Gadchiroli encounters against Naxals, and how “Anand” had agreed to coordinate a fact-finding committee.

Pune Police sources said a few other investigation papers too were submitted to the court, but were not disclosed to the petitioner as this would have hampered the process of investigation.


Also read: Supreme Court refuses to quash FIR against activist Anand Teltumbde in Bhima-Koregaon case


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1 COMMENT

  1. Dear Print Team
    It is a real shame that you have given space to an alleged terrorist who perpetrated violence against the state and the local community to air his views. Your so called reporting has given a one sided exaggerated view which is not expected of a newspaper of your quality. The Supreme Court itself has examined the evidence and refused to interfere in the trial speaks volumes about the fact that the evidence is clear and enough for a arrest and the trial to go ahead.

    What next now? Will the print team now stand judge, jury and executioner in all such cases. You now perhaps are becoming like some of the news channels who are act as if they are God.

    One of the reasons I enjoy your paper is the wide raging views which you publish but this is going to far. A real shame

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