Published 15:46 IST, April 14th 2020

Activist and academician Anand Teltumbde surrenders before NIA in Elgar Parishad case

On Tuesday, activist and academician Anand Teltumbde surrendered before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Bhima Koregaon- Elgar Parishad case.

Reported by: Akhil Oka
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On Tuesday, activist and academician Anand Teltumbde surrendered before National Investigation ncy in Bhima Koregaon- Elgar Parishad case. This development comes after apex court granted him and Gautam Navlakha a week's time to surrender. He was accompanied to NIA office at Cumballa Hill in South Mumbai by his wife Rama Teltumbde and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar. He is expected to be produced before a sessions court by evening. 

Read: Elgar Parishad Case: Special NIA Court Denies Bail To Accused Varavara Rao And Shoma Sen

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charges against Teltumbde

Violence had erupted at Koregaon-Bhima vill in Pune district on January 1, 2018, where supporters had gared to commemorate 200th anniversary of Battle of Bhima Koregaon. This resulted in death of one person and leaving several injured. Subsequently,  Pune police arrested activists such as Sudha Bharadwaj, Shoma Sen, Arun Ferreira, and Vern Gonsalves, Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale and P Varavara Rao for allegedly inciting Bhima Koregoan violence through ir speech at Elgar Parishad meeting on December 31, 2017. 

Teltumbde, a professor at Goa Institute of Manment has been accused of organizing Elgar Parishad event. Some of or charges against him include  'conspiracy to assassinate PM Narendra Modi', 'overthrow government', 'waging war against Government of India' under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Also, it has been alleged that he has links with Maoists. In January 2020, case was transferred to NIA.  

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Read: Maha Govt Drops 348 Cases In Bhima-Koregaon Protests, Mulls Inquiry In Elgar Parishad Case

legal battle

In 2019, a Pune sessions court rejected anticipatory bail plea of Teltumbde and Navlakha. y later approached Bombay High Court which gave m interim protection from arrest while ir petitions were being heard. However, after Bombay HC refused to give any relief, y moved apex court.

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On March 9, SC directed m to surrender within three weeks. This was extended by ar week. During final hearing, counsel for activists had argued that going to jail amid COVID-19 crisis was akin to a death sentence. But SC bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra and Indira Banerjee stated that activists would t be granted furr time beyond April 14 to surrender. 

Read: Bhima Koregaon: SC Asks Activists To Surrender To Jail Authorities In A Week

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Teltumbde pens open letter

On Monday, Teltumbde wrote an open letter to people of country before surrendering to NIA. Explaining sequence of events, he claimed that he was implicated on basis of 5 letters among 13 that police reportedly recovered from house of two arrestees in case. He stressed that incriminating material had been recovered from him. Maintaining that he had never supported violence or any subversive movement in any of his writings or interviews, Teltumbde opined that "selfless servers of people" had become traitors in country. Moreover, he alleged that role of RSS in entire case was "t hidden". 

Read: All Bhima Koregaon Hearings In March Postponed By JIC Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

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15:46 IST, April 14th 2020