Activist Varavara Rao
Pune police may seek Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) help to retrieve information from a computer disc that was seized in August 2018 from one of the accused in the Elgar Parishad case last year.
According to sources, Pune police may make this move as existing labs in the country have failed to retrieve any data from the seized disc.
After a go ahead from the Union Home Ministry, a two-member Pune police team comprising of a cop and forensic expert will take the disc to US and seek FBI's help in retrieving information.
The disc was seized during a raid at Telugu poet and activist Varavara Rao's residence in Hyderabad last year.
Earlier in August 2018, Maharashtra Police had arrested Maoist ideologue and activist Varavara Rao for his alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A police team from Pune had arrested the revolutionary writer after searching his house and the houses of his family members and friends including a journalist.
In June, Pune police had allegedly recovered a letter mentioning a plan to assassinate Modi from the house of one of the five persons arrested in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence.
The letter written by a person identified only as 'R' reportedly mentioned a plot to kill the Prime Minister on the lines of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. It also referred to requirement of Rs 8 crore to purchase a M-4 rifle and four lakh rounds to execute the plot. The letter reportedly mentions Varvara Rao's name.
Varvara Rao, who heads 'Veerasam', an association of revolutionary writers, had strongly denied the allegations. He had said that all five arrested in the case were working for the betterment of downtrodden.
Telugu poet Varavara Rao, accused of having Maoist links, was taken into custody in 2018 by Pune police from Hyderabad in a case related to Elgar Parishad conclave, a senior official had said.
The police alleged that the activists had links with the Maoists, who backed Elgar Parishad event held in Pune on December 31 last year. The Parishad, the police alleged, led to the violence at Koregaon Bhima war memorial in Pune district.
However, the activists were put under house arrest on Supreme Court's order. The apex court subsequently said Pune police can go ahead with the probe.
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