Ferreira’s narco test also named dabbawalas, NGOs

Arun Ferreira, the alleged Naxalite currently in jail, had revealed in his narco test that he had been in touch with Naxalite leaders not just from Maharashtra, but also from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, reports Shailendra Mohan.

Arun Ferreira, the alleged Naxalite currently in jail, had revealed in his narco test that he had been in touch with Naxalite leaders not just from Maharashtra, but also from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

HT Image

Apart from saying he had been in constant touch with Shreedhar Shrinivasan and Vernon Gonsalves, Ferreira also mentioned a Bhattacharya from Patna and a Mukherjee from Vidharba.

Gonsalves and Shrinivasan were arrested in 2007 in Mumbai in a joint operation of the Maharashtra ATS and Andhra Pradesh’s Special Task Force.

Ferreira had also said the Naxal movement had the support of the dabbawalas of Mumbai, who he admired for their management techniques, and was planning to meet to discuss their skills.

He also said a number of NGOs were fronts for the Naxalites, and named Vidyarthi Pragati Sanghatna, Nav Jawan Bharti Sabha, Niwala Hak Swarch Samithi and Human Rights for Jhopad Patti.

Ferreira also claimed to have got funds from members of the Shiv Sena, including Bal Thackeray.

He claimed he had never taken part in Naxalite jungle operations but had attended programmes for slumdwellers and tribal children held in Mumbai.

He also detailed how he and his associates provoked those who were unhappy with the way they saw the government administering the state.

Ferreira and his team also held rallies in Gujarat, after fishermen and tribals there began losing their land to the construction of ports, and run campaigns at Mel ghat, Amravati and Nashik.