NIA examining Umar Khalid's speeches and role in Elgar Parishad

Charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Umar Khalid, a former JNU student arrested by the Delhi police earlier this month in connection with the Delhi communal riots case, may have more trouble coming his way with the National Investigation Agency, probing the Bhima Koregaon violence case, examining his speeches and role in the Elgar Parishad.

Khalid, a United Against Hate activist, was among those who had participated in Elgaar Parishad and made speeches on December 31, 2017, on the eve of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon. Even before the NIA took up the investigations, the Pune police had claimed that speeches made at Elgar Parishad were partly responsible for instigating the violence that occured the next day.

If the need arises, NIA sleuths may question Khalid who is already under custody. Khalid, meanwhile, has claimed that the legal trial will help prove his innocence in the Delhi riots case where the city police has claimed there is enough evidence emerging from the pattern of the riots to substantiate his role in the riots conspiracy and invoke the anti-terror law. 

Fresh trouble may come his way with the NIA busy tying the loose ends of the Bhima Koregaon case after filing its latest chargesheet against eight accused, including Delhi-based activist Gautam Navlakha and Hany Babu, an associate professor at Delhi University, for their alleged role in bringing together militant Dalit and Muslim forces for a revolutionary, armed struggle against the political powers in the country . 

"The investigation into the case are going on and it is likely that those who had given speeches at Elgar Parishad will be questioned about their links with the organisers and the accused in the coming days," said an official.

According to the NIA, there are evidences of record that revealed that accused Gautam Navlakha was working in urban areas and was assigned to unite intellectuals against government forces to defeat them both physically and otherwise. He has been accused of identifying such young activists from Delhi, Mumbai and Chattisgarh.

However, direct links between the accused chargesheeted in the case and others are still being investigated by the counter terror agency which may prompt the NIA to quiz Khalid on the same. The NIA has already claimed that the Bhima Koregaon conspiracy was not limited to the violence that ensued, but was a larger conspiracy funded by the banned CPI (Maoist) to destabilise the government, instigate violence, provide weapon and arms training to militant cadres and even had cross-border links with Pakistan's ISI, which was using the accused to find recruits in the country.

While the charges against the accused named in the chargesheet so far will have to stand the scrutiny of the court in coming days, the NIA sleuths are also not leaving any stone unturned to corroborate the charges with technical, material evidence as well as questioning of others involved to stitch up the case.