Elgar Parishad case: Umar Khalid denies CPI(M) links, says not sure why his name appears in cadres' letters

National Investigation Agency officials have said that Umar Khalid, an accused in the Elgar Parishad case, has links with CPI(M), which the latter has denied. Umar Khalid also said he doesn’t know why his name is present in letters exchanged between CPI(M) comrades.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is investigating the 2018 Elgar Parishad case in Pune, had recently submitted some additional documents in the case before the special court in Mumbai. These documents are some additional evidence in the form of statements mainly that have been recorded by the agency of witnesses.

One such witness whose statement was recorded by the agency on February 12, 2021, in Tihar Jail in Delhi was Umar Khalid.

Khalid, in his statement, has said that he knew Rona Willson, Arun Farerra, and had seen Hany Babu and Gautam Navlakha, all of whom were undertrials in the Elgar Parishad case.

The NIA officials showed two letters to Khalid, which are part of the evidence against the accused in the Elgar Parishad case.

One letter was written by a “Comrade M to Comrade Rona” on January 2, 2018. Khalid stated that he had already seen it in the media and that he didn't know anything regarding why his name is mentioned in this letter.”

The second letter which was shown to him was written by an “R to Comrade Prakash” on December 23, 2017. About this letter, Khalid stated that he had seen it for the first time and he added, “I don't have any connection with the CPI (Maoist) party.”

Lastly, Khalid’s statement said, “My above statement is recorded on an official laptop as per my saying, and after recording the statement, I read it and state that it has been taken as I said.”