Pune court convicts man for involvement in Naxalite activities, hands jail terms up to 8 yrs

A special court in Pune on Wednesday sentenced a 46-year-old man to up to eight years of rigorous imprisonment on different counts, including for being a member of a terror group and involvement in Naxalite activities.

Additional Sessions Judge S R Navandar, presiding over the special court, convicted Arun Bhelke under sections 20 and 38 (punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and pronounced jail terms ranging from five to eight years.

All the sentences will run concurrently, said the court.

In 2014, the Maharashtra ATS had arrested Bhelke and his wife Kanchan Nanaware, who were active members of the Maoist linked Golden Corridor Committee, for allegedly trying to recruit youths from slums for the armed movement and their involvement in Naxalite activities.

Nanaware, however, died at the Sassoon General Hospital in Pune in January 2021 due to a heart ailment.

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Ujjwala Pawar said a total of 22 witnesses, including some surrendered Naxalites, were examined during the trial.

She said when the court asked Bhelke about his conviction, he expressed his desire to lead a normal life hereafter. ''He created sympathy in the mind of the judge by saying that he wanted to lead a normal life and not life of a Naxalite. The court then took a moderate view and passed an order handing out moderate punishment,'' Pawar said.