Pune Police raids Stan Swamy's house in Ranchi in Bhima Koregaon probe, seizes electronic materials

A team of Pune police led by Assistant Commissioner Shivaji Pawar, the investigation officer in the Bhima Koregaon case, raided Stan Swamy’s house around 7 am Wednesday and seized digital devices and other material from the spot.

According to the Pune Police, Stan Swamy was in touch with accused persons in the case. Incriminating documents and electronic devices including a hard disk have been recovered from his Jharkhand home.

Stan Swamy said the following while raids were in progress:

"This is the second raid at my house by the Police and it is a matter of concern for me. However, I am willing to cooperate with any kind of legal investigation the Police deems necessary to conduct,"

Stan Swamy, a resident of Namkum in Ranchi city of Jharkhand, was an accused in the Elgaar Parishad case for his alleged links with the banned CPI-Maoist.

Following the speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave on December 31 commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, violence had erupted in which one person, identified as 28-year-old Rahul Fatangale from Nanded, was killed and many others were injured. Inciteful speeches were made during the event.

READ: Bhima Koregaon Case: Activist Anand Teltumbde Files Anticipatory Bail Application In Bombay High Court

A probe was launched by Maharashtra police following during which a number of persons were arrested, namely writer-poet P Varavara Rao, lawyers Sudha Bhardwaj, Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonzalves, and Gautam Navalakha.

Alongside the arrest, the Police had also recovered some documents including a letter which talked about a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a way similar to that of that of the Rajiv Gandhi's assassination.

The raid on Wednesday is the second such raid at Stan Swamy’s house. Earlier, his house was also searched by the Pune city police during multi-city raids conducted in this case in August last year.

Although Stan Swamy claims that he was being framed in the Elgaar Parishad case because he has been working for the rights of the tribals and questioning the role of the government, the police suspects him to be a key link, as per sources.