Court allows ATS to take blood samples of ‘Maoist’ with ‘many names’ for DNA profiling

Rao’s counsel prayed that the order giving permission to take his blood samples be stayed for a period of four weeks. The court will hear the application on Friday, said advocate Shah.

Rao was wanted by the ATS for his links with alleged top CPI Maoist leader Konath Murlidharan alias Ajith and a member C P Ismail, who were arrested from Talegaon Dabhade in Pune district on May 8, 2015. Both were booked under IPC and UAPA sections. Ajith is currently out on bail.

ATS chargesheeted Ajith and Ismail on October 14, 2015 and framed charges against them on February 5, 2021. Rao was arrested by the Telangana police on September 15, 2023.

Telangana police allegedly recovered a revolver from Rao and claimed him to be secretary of Western Ghat Special Zonal Committee (WGSZC), South Regional Bureau and member of Central Committee (CC) of the banned CPI Maoist.

The Pune unit of the ATS took Rao’s custody from a jail in Hyderabad on July 3. On July 9, the ATS personnel took Rao to the government-run Sassoon hospital for taking his blood sample for DNA profiling. But Rao objected.
So, ACP Subhash Dudhgaonkar of the ATS filed an application before the special court on June 10, seeking permission to take Rao’s blood samples for DNA profiling.

The ATS told the court that Rao’s DNA profiling is essential for investigation because he used different names and identities while working underground for the CPI-Maoist at various locations.

On July 11, special public prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar told the court that accused Sanjoy Rao is a leader of banned CPI-Maoist and has operated with various names like Vijay, Vikas, Anil, Dhanraj, Anand Sahasrabuddhe, Mohan etc.

Pawar said Rao worked underground for the CPI-Maoist in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana, Pawar told the court.

Pawar argued, “DNA profiling was essential for investigation as the accused changed his name and identity from time to time….It will not create any prejudice against the accused and not cause violation of his human rights.”

Defence lawyer Rohan Nahar argued that the present case “does not involve an offence wherein the evidence collected by the investigating officers requires to be connected or compared with the DNA of the accused.”

Meanwhile, the court had remanded Rao to judicial custody.

As per police records, Sanjoy Rao is a native of Shivagandha Nagar, Ambernath in Thane district of Maharashtra. He did B Tech from Regional Engineering College (REC), now known as NIT, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
Police said Rao was arrested and convicted in an offence of allegedly putting objectionable posters in Nandurbar region in 2000. Meanwhile, in May 2014, CPI (ML) Naxalbari merged with CPI-Maoist. Ajith and Rao then allegedly became CC members of CPI-Maoist and worked in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu ‘tri-junction’ and Western Ghats in Maharashtra, police said.

According to ATS, Rao had allegedly introduced Ajith as ‘Thomas Joseph’ and Ismail as ‘James Mathews’ to a builder from Pune. ATS probe revealed that some of Rao’s contacts provided SIM cards and Internet dongles in their names to Ajith. They also allegedly helped Ajith and Ismail in getting a flat on rent in Lotus Villa, Talegaon Dabhade from where they were arrested in 2015.