New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday claimed that the Delhi University professor Hany Babu MT had links with Manipur-based insurgent group Kangkeipak Communist Party-Military Council (KCP-MC).
The agency also said that it has retrieved several communications of the DU professor with other Manipur-based outfits.
Based on Hany Babu’s questioning, an NIA team also searched his residence in Noida on Sunday morning. His wife Jenny Rowena, who teaches at Miranda House, was present during the raid, which she termed as “harassment”.
Babu is currently being interrogated by the NIA after he was arrested last week in Bhima-Koregaon case.
The KCP is a banned northeast-based insurgent group which indulges in extortion from government offices on the pretext of protection money and is involved in several violent incidents over the years, a counter-insurgency official, who didn’t wish to be named, said.
“The banned outfit is active and has a solid base in Manipur, Myanmar and Nepal. They also have strong links with the Naxals as they exchange arms and ammunition with them. It has several factions but the parent organization is KCP itself,” this official said.
Talking of Hany Babu’s links with the KCP-MC, a NIA statement said on Sunday, “Hany Babu MT was found to be a co-conspirator along with other accused persons propagating Naxal activities and Maoist ideology. The investigation also revealed that Hany Babu was in contact with Paikhomba Meitei, Secretary Information and Publicity, Military Affairs of Kangkeipak Communist Party (MC), an organisation banned under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.”
“An interview of Ganapathy, General Secretary of CPI (Maoist) was shared by Paikhomba Meitei with the accused Hany Babu. Communications of Hany Babu with other Maoists of Manipur have also been retrieved,” the agency added.
It further alleged that “after the release of CPI (Maoist) leader Pallath Govindankutty, Hany Babu, along with co-accused Rona Wilson, took the initiative to help him financially by raising funds.”
“Hany Babu, along with other accused persons namely Rona Wilson, Anand Teltumbde, P Varavara Rao and Surendra Gadling formed a Committee for the release of GN Saibaba who was sentenced to life imprisonment for his links with CPI (Maoist),” NIA statement said.
During the raid on Sunday, the agency team recovered an account ledger, a receipt book of the committee for the defence and release of Dr GN Saibaba and several documents, it added.
The agency has alleged that the Elgar-Parishad event at Pune on December 31, 2017, promoted enmity between various caste groups and led to violence resulting in loss of life and property and a state-wide agitation in Maharashtra.
“The investigation revealed that the Elgar Parishad along with Maoist leaders used the incident to spread the ideology of Maoism/Naxalism and encourage unlawful activities on the instructions of the leaders of CPI (Maoist), a banned organization,” it said.
Jenny Rowena said, “I was alone with my daughter, so I did not let them enter my house till I call a friend. They cannot barge into my house without any prior notice. It’s so unsafe.”
Rowena said that they were looking for some specific things. “They did not search the whole house. They asked for some specific things like receipts of donations received for the Saibaba defence committee. Babu has a drawer in which he keeps all the receipts. I gave them the receipts and they left,” she said.
“Babu’s bail application is going to be heard day after tomorrow and immediately before that they are running for things to show (in the court),” she added.
Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) president Rajib Ray said, “I strongly protest and urge the government to desist from these illegal, strong-arm tactics and immediately stop this witch hunt against academics and scholars.”
Source: HindustanTimes