Anand Teltumbde's Activities Threaten India's Sovereignty; Must Not Be Permitted To Go Abroad, Can Give Lectures Virtually: NIA To Bombay HC

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday told the Bombay High Court that Dalit rights' activist Dr Anand Teltumbde is an active member of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) (CPI-M), and is allegedly involved in activities that pose a 'threat' to the 'sovereignty, security and integrity' of India and thus he should not be permitted to travel to Amsterdam and the United Kingdom to attend academic assignments.

In an affidavit filed through Pravin Ingawale, the Superintendent of Police, NIA, Mumbai, the central agency has urged the court to dismiss Teltumbde's plea to travel abroad. 

"The present applicant being active member of the CPI (M), a banned terrorist organisation, has used his false public image and standing in the society to continue with his nefarious activities under the guise of academician, author, administrator, and alleged mass leader of the oppressed class of the society," the affidavit reads. 

The NIA further stated that Teltumbde was an active and a senior member of the CPI (Maoist), a banned terrorist organisation, working in urban areas. The agency added that he was in contact with arrested co-accused Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen, Varavara Rao, Gautam Navlakha, Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferriera, Vernon Gonsalves, Stan Swamy & Hany Babu - other members of the CPI (M), during the furtherance of larger conspiracy and commission of crime of the Bhima-Koregaon case. 

According to NIA, Teltumbde has visited foreign countries even before but under the guise of his academic visits at Philippines, Peru, Turkey etc, he used to bring Maoist literature and videos (in pen drive/memory card) related to their ideology, tactics, weapons used by them, a period of attacks, planning of sudden attacks etc.

Notably, Teltumbde has approached the HC after being invited by the University of Amsterdam, Nottingham Trent University among others. His plea stated that he seeks to travel to Amsterdam on April 1 and then to UK on May 1 and will return to Mumbai on May 21. 

According to his plea, the Faculty of Humanities University of Amsterdam has selected him as a visiting scholar based on his "internationally renowned scholarship and expertise in the area of social justice". It is a four-week programme involving giving seminars, delivering a lecture on Dr BR Ambedkar on April 14, conducting master classes with Ph.D. candidates, post-graduate teachings and meetings with individual scholars and faculty.

Further he has also been invited by the Leiden Institute for Asia Studies, Leiden University in the Netherlands to deliver a lecture on April 16. He has also been invited by Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom as Scholar-in-Residence for the first two weeks in May 2025 to take part in their academic programme and to meet with researchers and doctoral candidates to advise them on their research projects. Thereafter he has been invited by Oxford South Asia Society, University of Oxford, University School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh and the University College, London for delivering lectures. 

With regards to this, the NIA has stated that though Teltumbde's books may have received international acclaim from foreign countries including the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, however, it is a matter of scrutiny and needs to be verified from the Competent Authority if there is a necessity for Teltumbde to deliver lectures from April 14 to May 15, 2025.

"It may also be considered that the alleged necessity of the applicant to deliver said lecture in-person is not at all required, as alternatively the said lectures could also be delivered through online mode, with a link to be shared with the NIA, for monitoring his activities. Further, for delivering alleged lectures in-person at the said foreign universities by applicant is strongly opposed on the ground of likelihood of him absconding and thereby allegedly taking shelter in the said countries to avoid the judicial process and trial of this case, as well applicant furthering the criminal and unlawful of CPI (M) in India," the NIA has said. 

Further, the NIA claimed that some of the wanted charge-sheeted accused in various cases in India have absconded and sought asylum in foreign countries, hence, contended that there is a legal hurdle in getting back those accused for the prosecution and trial of those cases.

The NIA affidavit further alleges that Teltumbde in his capacity as a General Secretary of the Committee for the protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR) Maharashtra, took efforts for the release of one Murugan, a CPI (M) cadre, who was in jail at Tamil Nadu as well as for the release of GN Saibaba another convicted and member of the CPI (M).

"It is submitted that the role of appellant in connection with the Bhima Koregaon programme was appreciated by the Central Committee of CPI (M) and there are cogent and relevant evidences on record that directions were given to appellant and his co-accused persons to keep the fire ablaze i.e. to continue with the nefarious activities of CPI (M). Maoist cadres were co-ordinating with the Bhima Koregaon Programme for quite long and making preparations for gathering support for it and communicating amongst themselves regarding the same," the NIA has said. 

Meanwhile, when the matter was called out for hearing on Thursday, a division bench led by Justice Ajay Gadkari ordered the Registry to place the interim application filed by Teltumbde before the appropriate court, since the NIA through special counsel Sandesh Patil assisted by advocate Chintan Shah, urged the bench that the application be heard by the same bench, which granted bail to Teltumbde in November 2022.