Accused were trying to destabilise government and incite the youth: Pune Joint CP

Shivaji Bhodke, joint commissioner of police, Pune, who supervised the arrest of five civil liberties activists on Tuesday for their alleged links with Maoists, told ET that the accused were trying to destabilise an “elected government by mobilising it through violent means”.

“They were involved in violent activities and were inciting the youth,” he said when asked how this contravened democratic norms. Pune Police has said that they would abide by the Supreme Court order and will keep Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira and VV Rao at their homes as part of their ‘house arrest’.

VV Rao would have to be taken back to Hyderabad for detention. The Pune police had earlier claimed that they were studying the Supreme Court order on house arrest of the accused.


The Pune police were not specific as to whether those arrested had any connection with a supposed plot against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They have also not questioned the organisers of a conference that has been cited as a key element of the accusations.

In June, the Pune police had arrested lawyer and suspected members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), Surendra Gadling and activist Rona Wilson, on charges of being part of an assassination conspiracy.