NIA conducts searches in Jharkhand's Giridih in CPI (Maoist)-related case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday searched multiple locations in the Giridih district of Jharkhand in a CPI (Maoist) related case, the agency said in a statement.

Houses and other premises of suspects and over-ground workers (OGWs) were extensively searched by NIA teams, which seized several mobile phones and SIM cards etc. The seized items are under examination.

The case emanated from the arrest of Krishna Hansda, a Naxal cadre of the proscribed terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist). Handa, a Regional Committee Member of CPI (Maoist), was arrested from Lucio forest area of Dumri PS in January 2023.

During the investigation, NIA, which took over the case in June 2023, unearthed the links of several suspects and OGWs believed to be involved in supplying logistics and electronic items to CPI (Maoist) in the Parasnath area of district Giridih. Today's searches were part of NIA's investigations against these suspects and OGWs.

The probe in the case is continuing, the NIA added.

Earlier, NIA searched multiple locations in five states in connection with a case relating to attempts at revival of the banned CPI (Maoist) terrorist organisation in the Northern Regional Bureau (NRB) region.

According to the NIA, extensive searches were conducted on December 20 at the premises of suspects at 2 locations in Patiala and Sri Muktsar Sahib districts of Punjab, 4 locations in Manesar and Gurgaon districts of Haryana, 2 locations in New Delhi, and 1 location each in Patna district of Bihar and Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh.

The suspects whose premises were searched were believed to be involved in propagating the ideology of CPI (Maoist) and the revival of its NRB wing through various frontal organisations, the NIA said.