The Pune police have made another arrest in the Koregaon Bhima Urban Naxal case. Late evening today, 17th November 2018, the police has arrested ‘activist’ Varavara Rao from his Hyderabad residence.
The arrest of Varavara Rao comes after his house arrest extension granted by the Hyderabad High Court comes to an end today. Another petition filed by him in the Court has also been disposed and hence, the Pune police proceeded to take him into custody.
He is to be produced before the Pune Court tomorrow.
There is heavy police security outside the apartment building where Varavara Rao stays as the police complete the arrest formalities inside the house.
There are also reports of Varavara Rao’s supporters protesting outside his apartment building.
In August 2018, several raids were conducted against supposed Naxal sympathizers in connection with the violence at Bhima Koregaon last year and an assassination plot to murder Prime Minister Modi. Several have been arrested in the case. Earlier, Pune court had rejected the bail application of Sudha Bhardwaj, Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves and they were subsequently taken into custody.