Pune: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) searched Delhi University Associate Professor Hany Babu's Noida residence on Sunday (August 2) and seized important documents and electronic items related to his alleged involvement in raising funds for the release of Pallath Govindankutty, a leader of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation and Hany's communications with other Maoists of Manipur.
Hany Babu Musaliyarveettil Tharayil (54), worked as an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Delhi University and was arrested by the NIA on Tuesday (July 28), in connection with the Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad case. During the investigations, NIA searched Hany's residence at Gautam Buddha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday (August 2) in connection with the investigation of Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad Case.
NIA officials have seized one Account Ledger, one Receipt Book of the Committee for the Defence and Release of Dr G. N. Saibaba, several documents as well as electronic items such as Hard Disk, USB Pen Drive etc.
Pune police had registered a case at Vishram Baug police station in April 2018 regarding inciting people and giving provocative speeches during Elgar Parishad organized by the activists of Kabir Kala Manch at Shaniwarwada in Pune December 31, 2017, which promoted enmity between various caste groups and led to violence resulting in loss of life & property and state-wide agitation in Maharashtra. Nine people including lawyer Surendra Gadling, Sudha Bharadwaj and Professor Shoma Sen were arrested by Pune police earlier in the case. Pune Police had filed a chargesheet and a supplementary chargesheet in this case on November 15, 2018 and February 21, 2019 respectively.
NIA took up the investigation of the case on January 24, 2020 and arrested two other suspects Anand Teltumbde and Gautam Navlakha on April 14, 2020. Hany is the twelfth suspect to be arrested in the Elgar Parishad case. NIA said it was revealed during investigations that accused Hany Babu Musaliyarveettil Tharayil was propagating Naxal activities and Maoist ideology and was a co-conspirator with other arrested accused in the case.
Hany Babu, along with other accused persons Rona Wilson, Anand Teltumbde, P Varavara Rao and Surendra Gadling had formed a committee for the release of G.N. Saibaba who was sentenced to life imprisonment for his links with CPI (Maoist).
Further, the investigation has revealed that accused Hany was in contact with Paikhomba Meitei, the Secretary of Information and Publicity department of Military Affairs of the Kangleipak Communist Party, an organisation banned under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. An interview of Ganapathy, the 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 investigation also revealed that after the release of CPI (Maoist) leader Pallath Govindankutty, Hany along with co accused Rona Wilson, took the initiative to help him financially by raising funds.
