New Delhi: National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Delhi University Associate Professor Honey Babu on Tuesday in the Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad case. An NIA spokesperson said that 54-year-old Honey Babu Mussaliyarvittil Thariyal lives in Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh and is an associate professor in the English Language Department of Delhi University.
It is noteworthy that the case is related to the allegedly provocative speech on 31 December 2017 at the program of Elgar Parishad organized by Kabir Kala Manch in Shaniwarwada, Pune. It is alleged that this led to racial animosity and violence, after which there was a loss of life and property in demonstrations across Maharashtra. The NIA official said that during the investigation it was revealed that the senior leaders of the CPI (Maoist) banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prohibition) Act had approached the organizers of the Elgar Parishad and the accused arrested in the case to spread the ideology of Maoism / Naxalism. Can be done and illegal activities can be encouraged.
It is noteworthy that Pune Police had filed the charge sheet and supplementary charge sheet in this case on 15 November 2018 and 21 February 2019 respectively. The official said that the NIA took over the investigation on January 24 this year and arrested Anand Teltumbde and Gautam Navlakha on April 14.
The NIA official said further investigation revealed that Honey Babu was spreading Naxalite activities and Maoist ideology and was a ‘co-conspirator’ with the other accused arrested. The NIA said that Honey Babu will be produced before a special NIA court in Mumbai on Wednesday and the court will be requested to send him to police custody to interrogate him. He said that further investigation in the case is going on
