Maoist ideologue Varavara Rao held, police link him with plot to kill PM

The Maharashtra Police on Tuesday arrested revolutionary writer and Maoist ideologue Varavara Rao in Hyderabad in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A family member quoted investigators as saying that Rao was linked to the alleged assassination plot.

A Pune Police team arrested Rao after conducting a search of his residence for nearly eight hours. He was subsequently produced before a local court, which directed the police to produce him before a court in Pune by 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

The police also conducted simultaneous searches at the homes of Rao's two daughters, other relatives and friends, including two journalists.

Documents were seized from Rao's residence, while police also took possession of a laptop, hard disk and other material during searches at the residences of his relatives.

Mild tension was reported outside Rao's house in Gandhinagar as his supporters gathered and raised slogans against the police. The area was subsequently cordoned off by local police.

Rao's wife, Hemalatha, said the police told him that his arrest was related to a case involving an alleged plot to assassinate Modi. She claimed that around 20 policemen arrived at their home early in the morning and began searching the premises without showing an arrest warrant.

"They searched every room and every corner. When he asked them to show the arrest warrant, they said no warrant is required," she said.

According to Hemalatha, Rao told the police that the case was fabricated.

The case dates back to June, when Pune Police registered a case after allegedly recovering a letter mentioning a plot to assassinate Modi from one of five people arrested in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence.

The letter, reportedly written by a person identified only as 'R', allegedly referred to a plan to assassinate Modi along the lines of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. It also mentioned a requirement of Rs 8 crore to purchase an M-4 rifle and four lakh rounds of ammunition.

The letter, reportedly addressed to Maoist leader Prakash, allegedly named Varavara Rao as the person who would arrange the funds. It was recovered from rights activist Rona Jacob Wilson during his arrest in Delhi.

Rao, who heads the revolutionary writers' association "Veerasam", has strongly denied the allegations. He had described the accusations as an attempt by the central government to counter what he claimed was Modi's declining popularity.

His wife said Rao had been arrested in 20 to 30 cases since 1974 but had never been convicted. She also said it was the first time police had entered their house and searched every room.