Dr Hany Babu arrested by NIA in Bhima Koregaon Case

Dr. Babu is a well-known anti-caste crusader. He was the Convenor of Committee for Release of Political Prisoners arrested by the National Investigation Agency.

By :
Shashank S R |
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hany babu

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Associate Professor of English at Delhi University MT Hany Babu, in connection with the Elgaar Parishad case popularly known as ‘Bhima Koregaon Case’ this day (28th July 2020).

The NIA in its official statement has mentioned that he will be produced before the NIA Special Court at Mumbai on 29th July and will seek police custody for custodial investigation.

NIA in its statement has accused Hany Babu to be a “propagator of Naxal activities” and a co-conspirator along with others accused in the case.

The other accused include India’s well-known Public Intellectuals including Prof Anand Teltumbde, Prof GN Sai Baba, Shoma Sen, Surendra Gadling, Gautam Navlakha, Sudha Bharadwaj, Rona Wilson, Mahesh Raut, Arun Ferreira, Sudhir Dawal, Vernon Gonsalves and Varavara Rao.

The NIA Statement has also noted the following about the case:

“This case arose out of Vishram Baug P.S. Pune Cr. No. 04/2018 regarding inciting people and giving provocative speeches during Elgar Parishad organized by the activists of Kabir Kala Manch at Shaniwarwada, Pune on 31.12.2017, which promoted enmity between various caste groups and led to violence resulting in loss of life & property and state-wide agitation in Maharashtra. During the investigation, it was revealed that senior leaders of CPI (Maoist), an organization banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, were in contact with the organizers of Elgar Parishad as well as the accused arrested in the case to spread the ideology of Maoism/Naxalism and encourage unlawful activities.”

His arrest comes amidst the pandemic despite his co-operation with the agency in the investigation. The Investigation Agency on July 11th had issued summons to Hany Babu to appear before it on July 15th. Babu had opined that being asked to travel to Mumbai in the midst of the pandemic was harassment when reacting to it.

Dr Hany Babu Musaliyarveettil Tharayil, aged 54, is a resident of Gautam Buddha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. He is a well-known anti-caste crusader. He was the Convenor of Committe for Release of Political Prisioners arrested by the National Investigation Agency. However, enormous support has flown in for the lecturer-cum-activist on social media, from students’ organizations and civil rights activist amongst others.

 

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8 COMMENTS

  4. […] This interrogation has come soon after the interrogation of Prof. Apoorvanand, in connection with the same case. Both of their phones have been seized. It is clear that both of them are being targeted merely for their presence at certain protests or dissenting groups, and their audacity to be critical of the current government. Meanwhile, other professors and intellectuals across the country are being hounded and framed under ….  […]

  6. […] Vijayan has been teaching at the university for 25 years now and is an author of the book Gender and Hindu Nationalism: Understanding Masculine Hegemony. He has also written against privatization of public education, attacks on constitutional social justice norms, saffronisation of the curriculum by the RSS-BJP regime, and criminalization of political opposition. He was reportedly one of those who helped the students who were protesting for Hany Babu’s release when they had been detained by Delhi Police. Hany Babu, also a professor at Delhi University, and an important anti-caste intellectual, has recently been arrested in the same case.  […]

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