Bhima-Koregaon violence: Letters by Maoists on plot to kill PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh led to arrests

The suspected Maoist sympathisers had written two letters which talked about their plans to assassinate PM Modi and Rajnath.
New Delhi: Two letters, purportedly written and exchanged by Maoist leaders about their plan to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, seized by the Maharashtra Police led to the arrest of prominent Left-wing activists in several states over suspected links with the Naxals.
While the first letter seized in 2016 suggested that there were deliberations among the Naxals to kill PM Modi, Shah and Singh, the 2017 letter referred to a plan to carry out a Rajiv Gandhi assassination-type attack on the Prime Minister during one of his roadshows, the Maharashtra Police officials claimed.
The second letter, which was addressed to one “Comrade Prakash”, was found from the residence of a Delhi-based activist, Rona Wilson, on June 6, according to a security official privy to the development.
Along with Wilson, four others were also arrested during raids in June by police in different parts of the country in connection with the matter.
The letters were reportedly recovered after the anti-Naxal operations in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli, in which 39 Maoists were killed, in April.
The 2017 letter also referred about “senior comrades” suggesting “concrete steps” to end the NDA dispensation and about raising several crore of rupees to buy American M-4 rifles and some ammunition, the official said.
Tuesday’s police action started at 6 am and was carried out simultaneously by Maharashtra Police, led by Joint Commissioner of Pune, Ravindra Kadam, in Ranchi, Goa, Delhi and Hyderabad.
Five prominent activists believed to be Naxal sympathisers and linked to the Elgar Parishad were arrested and several others detained following the day-long raids across the country.
Searches were carried out at the residences of Arun Ferreira, Susan Abrahams and Vernon Gonsalvez in Mumbai, Gautam Navlakha in Delhi, Anand Teltumbde in Goa, Vara Vara Rao’s daughter Anala and Journalist Kurmanath in Hyderabad.
Police have also confiscated during the searches several items like computers, laptop, CDs, papers and books.
Following the arrests, the CPI(M) Politburo protested against the raids and alleged that the Maharashtra Police and central agencies were targeting Dalit rights activists and lawyers who have been taking up their cases, following the Bhima-Koregaon violence.