Bhima Koregaon: NIA submits draft charges against accused

The draft charges filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case do not mention “a plot to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi” as Pune police had claimed in 2019.

The NIA submitted its draft charges before the special NIA court earlier this month and the 15 accused have been charged with section pertaining to sedition, criminal conspiracy and waging a war against country which is punishable with death penalty.

Pune police which was investigating the case before the NIA took over had claimed that the accused in Elgar Parishad case plotted to kill prime minister Narendra Modi. The NIA draft charges do not mention this. However, it mentions a conspiracy to assassinate 'a public functionary'.

The NIA stated that the accused are members of Communist Party of India (Maoist) and were actively involved in assisting and abetting unlawful activities like organising modern sophisticated weapons made in China and Russia in order to wage a war against country and overthrow the government in order to establish a People’s Government (Janatana Sarkar).

The accused conspired to organise and demand Rs 8 crore to source the weapons, alleged NIA in its draft charges. It further said that Elgar Parishad was an event organised by Kabir Kala Manch, a front of the CPI (Maoist) and the event had been staged in pursuance of the conspiracy.

The accused have been charged under section 121 (waging a war against country), 121 A (overawe a government by means of criminal force), 124 A (sedition), 153 A (promoting hate and enmity between two communities), 120 B (conspiracy). In addition, the NIA has also alleged that the accused committed offences under sections 10, 13, 16, 18, 18 B, 20, 38, 39, 40 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

Based on the draft charges filed by the NIA, the special court will now decide on the sections under which the 15 accused are to be tried.