Narendra Modi "assassination" plot: Pune Police arrest Varavara Rao, other activists in multi-city raids

According to reports, the arrested people are Vernon Gonsalves in Mumbai, Gautam Navlakha in Delhi, Sudha Bharadwaj in Haryana, and poet and Maoist ideologue P Varavara Rao in Hyderabad.

Rao was reportedly arrested in connection with an alleged conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The Pune police sought our assistance. We sent some women police constables to assist in the searches,” Hyderabad Central zone DCP Vishwa Prasad told The Hindu.

While no official announcement was made by any Pune police officials on the raids and the arrest of Rao, sources in Telangana police told the newspaper they were given to understand that Rao was already made an accused in the case relating to “plan to kill Modi.”

Raids were reportedly conducted at homes of activists and intellectuals in Delhi, Faridabad, Goa, Mumbai, Thane, Ranchi and Hyderabad.

In Mumbai, the homes of Arun Ferreira and Susan Abraham were also raided, reported The Hindu.

Sources told the newspaper the raids began around 6 a.m. at Ferreira’s Thane residence and the Andheri homes of Gonsalves and Ms. Abraham. 

NDTV reported that during early morning searches, Father Stan Swamy's home in Ranchi was also raided. Laptops, pen drives and documents have been seized from their homes.

The raids were reportedly made in connection with the Bhim Koregaon violence incident in Maharashtra in January.

Pune Police have been investigating the matter.