Elgar Parishad case: Hany Babu MT sent to judicial custody till Aug 21

The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Friday extended the judicial custody of Delhi University (DU) professor Hany Babu MT till August 21, in

The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Friday extended the judicial custody of Delhi University (DU) professor Hany Babu MT till August 21, in connection with the Elgar Parishad case.

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Babu, 54, an associate professor in DU’s department of English, was arrested on July 28. He was produced before the special court on Friday morning, as his custody with the NIA ended. The agency did not seek his further custody and requested the court to remand him in judicial custody, which the court accepted.

According to the prosecution, Babu, who is an activist of Kabir Kala Manch – a cultural organisation in Pune – gave a “provocative presentation” as well as speeches on December 31, 2017, during the Elgar Parishad conclave at Shaniwar Wada, Pune, which led to violence the next day, resulting in the death of one person and a state-wide agitation. The agency also claimed that Babu had links with Manipur-based insurgent group Kangleipak Communist Party-Military Council (KCP-MC). The agency is probing his emails and data recovered from his social media and computers.

NIA also alleged that Babu was closely linked with banned Communist Party of India-Maoist outfit and was involved in raising funds to help Maoists for their release from prisons.