Security agencies unearth Naxal arms dump in J'khand in NIA probe case

Security agencies today claimed to have busted a Naxal arms and ammunition dump, recovering 15 weapons and over 260 bullet rounds, from a Left-Wing Extremism-hit area of Jharkhand.

The cache was found during a raid by a joint team of the CRPF, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the state police in the 'Lugu Pahar' jungle area in the Bokaro district based on leads provided by an arrested Naxalite, a senior official said.

The action pertains to the NIA registering a criminal case in March post taking over the probe from the state police and filing an FIR under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Arms Act after the Jharkhand Police arrested 15 Naxals from the Giridih district with arms, ammunition, 60 ATM cards, bank documents and 1,125 Aadhaar cards.

As many as 10 .303 rifles, a carbine and 13 other types of guns, detonators, 269 rounds of live bullets, a 12-kg improvised explosive device and Rs 3 lakh in cash was seized after the raid on the Maoists' dump today, the official said.

The tip-off about the Naxals' dump was provided by one of the arrested Naxals in the case -- Mahavir Manjhi alias Charlees -- during interrogation by the NIA.

Manjhi is a zonal member of the North Chota Nagpur Zonal Committee of the Maoists.

The Central Reserve Police Force and the state police assisted in the operation and provided security to the investigating team, he said.