NIA conducts search at DU Prof Hany Babu's house in Noida

The National Investigation Agency on Sunday searched the Noida residence of Delhi University associate professor Hany Babu Musaliyarveettil Tharayil, arrested in connection with the Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad case, an official said.

The case pertains to the organisation of Elgar Parishad in Pune on December 31, 2017 which promoted enmity between various caste groups and led to violence, resulting in the loss of life and property and statewide agitation in Maharashtra, an NIA spokesperson said.

The investigation revealed that the Elgar Parishad, along with Maoist leaders, used the incident to spread the ideology of Maoism/Naxalism and encourage unlawful activities on the instructions of the leaders of Communist Party of India-Maoist, a banned organisation, the official of the premier investigation agency said.

Hany Babu was found to be a co-conspirator along with other accused propagating Naxal activities and Maoist ideology, and was placed under arrest on July 28, the official said.

Hany Babu, along with other accused -- Rona Wilson, Anand Teltumbde, P Varavara Rao and Surendra Gadling, formed a committee for the release of former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba who was sentenced to life imprisonment for his links with the CPI (Maoist), he said.

During the search at Hany Babu's house, the NIA seized one account ledger, one receipt book of the committee for the defence and release of Saibaba, several documents as well as electronic items such as hard disk, USB pen drive among others, the official added.

He was in contact with Paikhomba Meitei, Secretary Information and Publicity, Military Affairs, Kangleipak Communist Party (MC), an organisation banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the NIA official said.

An interview of Ganapathy, general secretary of CPI-Maoist, was shared by Meitei with Hany Babu, the NIA official said, adding that the communications of Hany Babu with other Maoists of Manipur have also been retrieved.

The investigation also revealed that after the release of CPI-Maoist leader Pallath Govindankutty, Hany Babu along with co-accused Rona Wilson took the initiative to help him financially by raising funds, the spokesperson said.

Further investigation in the case was underway.