ATS: 8 arrested naxals may have links to Pune violence

Mumbai: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in its charge-sheet filed against eight arrested naxals, has said that it is probing if the arrested accused have any links with the Bhima-Koregaon violence.

According to the ATS, it has seized a book from one of the arrested accused, which has an article with the heading, “Bhima-Koregaon ne dilay dhada, navi peshwai masnaat gaada”.

The heading translates as: Bhima-Koregaon has taught us a lesson, now destroy the new Peshwaii. The agency has also seized receipts of donations collected in the name of the campaign for celebrating Bhima-Koregaon bravery day.

The ATS has categorised 263 articles and different materials seized from, or at the instance of, the arrested accused.

List says that during house search of one of the arrested accused, Babu Shankar Buchhya Wanguri alias Babu, the agency recovered the book and some receipts.

The ATS has alleged that the arrested accused are part of the “golden corridor”.

The agency goes on to explain that in 2007, the Maharashtra State Committee of CPI (Maoist) split into two. Following this division, northern Maharashtra, southern Gujarat, Surat and Mumbai’s industrial belts were given the name “golden corridor”.

According to the ATS, a decision was taken to gain entry into these areas through industrial workers’ organisations, and promote the Maoist ideology among workers while using workers’ organisations to collect funds for Maoists.

The ATS further alleged that persuading youths in urban areas to join armed units of naxals, impart arms training to them, and convince them to go to naxal-infested areas to fight for Maoists was one of the aims.