E-Paper
Surrendered Naxal claims he saw Bhelke with Milind Teltumbde in jungles of Gadchiroli
A statement by a man named Krushna, who claims to be a surrendered Naxalite, stated that he saw Arun Bhelke and Milind Teltumbde together in the jungles of Gadchiroli was recorded on Wednesday
A statement by a man named Krushna, who claims to be a surrendered Naxalite, stated that he saw Arun Bhelke and Milind Teltumbde together in the jungles of Gadchiroli was recorded on Wednesday.
Teltumbde has a reward of ₹50 lakh on his head declared by Gadchiroli police in May 2018.
The statement was recorded in the course of the trial which Bhelke is facing for a case registered against him and his late wife Kanchan Nanavare in 2014 under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The trial is underway in the court of judge SR Navandar.
The surrendered Naxal questioned on Wednesday was identified as Krushna alias Birju Masa Dorpate (33), a resident of Allapalli area of Gadchiroli.
The couple has been booked under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with Sections 20 and 38 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by the anti-terrorism squad. The two are also facing a case under UAPA registered by Chandrapur police.
The prosecutor, Ujjwala Pawar claimed that Dorpate is a surrendered Naxal, as is mentioned in his written statement recorded in 2015. He claimed that he joined the movement in 2003, gained “divisional committee member” status in 2010, and quit along with his wife in 2014.
Questioning Dorpate’s authenticity, Nahar said, “It was the time when the state had started offering incentives like cash and land for surrendered Naxals. The people there are very poor. He only claims to be inside the jungle.”
In his statement under Section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) recorded on January 11, 2015, Dorpate had allegedly said that Bhelke was known to Teltumbade who is believed to be among the leaders of the Naxals in Maharashtra.
On Wednesday, Ujjwala Pawar cross-questioned him in court about the claims that he allegedly made to an officer of the Anti-terrorism squad (ATS) in 2015.
He reiterated his statement about Bhelke being in contact of Teltumbade.
“It does not affect the case in any way just because he is claiming that it happened. What is the evidence that he is speaking the truth,” asked Rohan Nahar representing Bhelke.
The 2015 statement also claims that Nanaware worked in the capacity of a nurse while suffering a heart ailment. He also had recorded that she was actively involved in an armed struggle between police and Naxals in Padiyaljob area of Gadchiroli in 2012.
