Elgar: 'Plot to kill PM', 'overthrow' govt in draft charges

Conspiracy to "assassinate" Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "overthrow" the government besides "waging war" against the Government of India are among the slew of charges brought against all 19 accused by the prosecution in the Elgar Parishad-Koregaon Bhima case of Maharashtra. On Wednesday, the prosecution had submitted draft charges against the 19 accused named in the case, which include nine Left-leaning activists -Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen, Arun Ferriera, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Varavara Rao.

Activities under arrest

All these activists are under arrest. The draft charges were submitted in the special UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act) court presided over by additional sessions judge S R Navander. "These charges include conspiracy to wage war against the Government of India, to overthrow the government, conspiracy to murder the constitutional authority, recruitment of students and training them for subversive activities, procuring weapons and ammunition and other unlawful activities," said Ujjwala Pawar, Special Public Prosecutor. According to the draft charges brought under IPC sections 121 and 121A, some of the arrested accused along with some absconding accused, who are active members of the banned CPI (Maoists) and other front organisations engaged in "waging war" against the government of India and Government of Maharashtra, the prosecution stated.

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The conspiracy

It said the accused were conspiring to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his roadshows in a manner similar to the killing of former PM Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. "For the same, they conspired to demand and organise Rs 8 crore for the supply of M-4 (sophisticated weapon) with 400,000 rounds and other arms and ammunition through designated supplier from Nepal and Manipur and conspired to assassinate Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi during his roadshows on the lines of Rajiv Gandhi incident," according to the draft charges. The accused conspired to overthrow the Government of India and the state government by means of criminal force or show of criminal force, the prosecution said. "Thereby (the accused ) committed an offence punishable under section 121A of the IPC," it said.

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The prosecution said after going through the evidence, the court will frame charges against the accused, setting the stage for the commencement of trial. According to the Pune Police, the Elgar Parishad conclave held here on December 31, 2017, was supported by Maoists, and the inflammatory speeches made at the event led to caste violence at Koregaon Bhima war memorial on outskirts of the city the next day. The Left-leaning activists arrested during the subsequent probe had links with Maoists, the police claimed. The accused have been booked UAPA, an anti-terror law, and relevant sections of the IPC. Anyone convicted under the IPC section 121, which deals with waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India, faces the death sentence of imprisonment for life.

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