New Delhi, Dec 27 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday conducted searches at multiple locations in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to probe Naxal-related cases.
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 in Giridih district of Jharkhand, an official statement said.
The case emanated from the arrest of Krishna Hansda, a Naxal cadre of the proscribed terrorist organisation CPI(Maoist), it said.
Handa, a regional committee member of the CPI(Maoist), was arrested from the Lucio forest area of Dumri police station in January 2023, the NIA statement said.
During the investigation, the 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 the CPI(Maoist) in the Parasnath area of district Giridih.
"Today's searches were part of NIA's investigations against these suspects and OGWs," it said, adding that the seized items were under examination.
In another case, NIA teams searched several locations in remote villages of Chhattisgarh in connection with the CPI(Maoist) attack on a polling and security team during the state Assembly elections last year.
Searches were conducted at multiple locations belonging to 11 suspects in the villages of Rawandiggi, Semra, Mainpur, Ghoragaon, Kerabahra and Gariyaband in the sensitive Maoist-infested areas of Gariyaband and Dhamtari districts, another statement issued by the probe agency said.
The suspects were believed to be OGWs and supporters of the Mainpur-Nuapada division of the CPI(Maoist) terror outfit, it said.
"Investigation has established that the Mainpur-Nuapada division was behind the IED blast that killed a head constable of ITBP adhoc 615 battalion in the attack on the polling team and security personnel returning from village Badegobra after polling during the Assembly elections in November last year. The names of the suspects whose premises were searched today had surfaced during the NIA investigation in the case," the statement said.
Naxal pamphlets, booklets, mobile phones and digital devices, Rs 1.5 lakh in cash, along with other incriminating materials, were seized during the searches by NIA, which has so far chargesheeted 10 accused in the case, it added.