NIA to examine documents recovered from Maoists in Jharkhand

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will examine the documents, including hundreds of Aadhaar Cards, recovered from the Maoists during anti-Naxal operations in Giridih district last month, a police officer said.

The Jharkhand government has recommended for NIA probe into the recovery of Aadhaar cards, ATM cards and documents related to bank accounts recovered from the Naxals during the operations, Additional Director General of Police R K Mallick said here yesterday.

As many as 15 Maoists, including Sunil Soren who was carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh on his head, Sub-zonal Commander Shekhar alias Charlie and Sohan Manjhi, were arrested during the operations, he said.

Apart from a large quantity of arms and ammunition, the security personnel had seized 1125 Aadhaar cards, 60 ATM cards and documents related to 200 bank accounts in course of subsequent search operation, he said.

Mallick said the number of Naxals in the state had drastically come down due to intensive anti-Naxal operation launched jointly by the state armed police and the CRPF in the state.

"We'll crush the Naxal menace as only 500 to 600 Naxals are present in the state," he said.

Asked about senior Maoist leaders operating in the state, Mallick said all top ranking leaders including, Prayag Majhi, Misir Besra and Prasant Bose who were carrying a reward of Rs one crore each on their heads, were on police radar and they would be apprehended soon.