Don’t invite Naxal propagator Sidharth Varadarajan at Army Conferences and IAS trainee Sessions: LRO demands

As per reports, last year Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration had invited Indian-American journalist Siddharth Varadarajan to address the young IAS trainees.

Siddharth Varadarajan is husband of Delhi University Professor Nandini Sundar, who is the main accused and conspirator in Shamnath Baghel murder case of Bastar in Chhattisgarh State.

Objecting this decision of inviting a Naxal propagandist to preach the IAS cadre, a collective voice has been raised by the rights watchdog - Legal Rights Observatory. The LRO has sent a letter to the Home Minister and the Director of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration to stop inviting persons of notorious backgrounds like Varadarajan, as these type of people “are indulged in defaming Indian Armed Forces on the basis of false human rights issues and other concocted allegations against Armed Forces.”

In the letter to the Home Minister, LRO Chief Vinay Joshi states: “Siddharth Varadarajan-s website The Wire and Nandini Sundar both published mischievous allegations of rape on the minor girl against CRPF commando in anti-Naxal operation, but the medical test proved allegations wrong and the said victim girl too clarified that no one raped her. Nandini Sundar deleted the controversial tweet but The Wire still has the same report on its website.”

Here is the text of the letter sent by LRO

To,

1) Union Home Minister,
2) Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie

As per reports last year Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration had invited Indian-American journalist Siddharth Varadarajan to address young IAS trainees. The said person and his wife have a criminal and dubious record. With this complaint I wanted to drag attention of Home Ministry officials and Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration to the real face of Siddharth Varadarajan and request Home Ministry and Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration not to invite this person and anyone of this sort to address young grooming IAS officers to give them legitimacy and honor. As these type of people are indulged in defaming Indian Armed Forces on the basis of false human rights issues and other concocted allegations against Armed Forces.

Here are details of the criminal record of Siddharth Varadarajan and his wife, which will convince Home Ministry and Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration about the notorious record of Varadarajan. Please go through it and issue a notification to all those responsible for inviting him in Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration functions.

1) Mr Siddharth Varadarajan is the husband of Delhi University professor Nandini Sundar who is main accused and conspirator in Shamnath Baghel murder case of Bastar in Chhattisgarh State. At present, her arrest is pending due to interim order by Hon Supreme Court of India. The deceased Shamnath Baghel was social worker from Maoists- Naxal infested region of Chhattisgarh and he was peacefully and democratically opposing violent Communist Maoists insurgents unleashing terror in the region. As per FIR registered against Siddharth Varadarajan-s wife Nandini Sundar (Case Number:- IA 14-2016 filed Nov 10th 2016 in WP Civil 250-2007), Nandini hatched a conspiracy to kill Mr Shamnath Baghel.

After registering FIR, Nandini approached Hon Supreme Court to quash said FIR, but Court refused to do so citing evidence produced before the court,

2) Surrendered Naxal-Maoists commander Podium Panda confessed in a press meet in Raipur and then before High Court that he had accompanied Nandini Sundar many times to meet top Maoist commanders in deep jungles of Bastar,

3) The Wire, Website run by Siddharth Varadarajan always publishes malicious news reports levelling baseless allegations of rapes, molestation, staged encounters against security forces engaged in anti-Naxal Ops. That proves he is not a journalist but an active Maoist cadre and inviting him in public program is a brazen act of promoting violent Maoist terrorist ideology,

4) Siddharth Varadarajan-s website The Wire and Nandini Sundar both published mischievous allegations of rape on the minor girl against CRPF commando in anti-Naxal operation, but the medical test proved allegations wrong and the said victim girl too clarified that no one raped her. Nandini Sundar deleted the controversial tweet but The Wire still has the same report on its website.

Regards,

Vinay Joshi,
Legal Rights Observatory