On 1st October, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at at least 11 locations in West Bengal over funding of Maoist groups. The operation was reportedly carried out at Sodepur and Jagaddal in North 24 Parganas, Asansol in West Burdwan and Netaji Nagar in Kolkata along with Howrah and Nadia. Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal police also accompanied the officials. The conspiracy revolved around the revival of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) in the Eastern Regional Bureau region.
The national agency released an official statement which read, “The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday searched multiple locations in various districts of West Bengal in a case involving a CPI (Maoist) conspiracy to revive its presence in the Eastern Regional Bureau area. NIA teams conducted elaborate searches at the houses of suspects at a total of 11 locations in South 24 Pargana, Asansol, Howrah, Nadia and Kolkata districts of the state. The suspects were overground workers of CPI (Maoist) and were believed to have assisted the organisation’s commanders in carrying out Naxal activities.”
NIA Searches Several W.Bengal Locations in CPI (Maoist) Revival Conspiracy Case pic.twitter.com/bTlRpWpmBZ
— NIA India (@NIA_India) October 1, 2024
Several incriminating documents, electronics, handwritten letters, periodicals and pamphlets were seized as a result of the searches. The press release further added, “The case RC-01/2022/NIA/RNC relates to a conspiracy by the Polit Bureau/ Central Committee members, cadres and sympathisers of the banned terrorist organisation. The conspiracy is aimed at reviving, expanding and propagating the ideology of CPI (Maoist) in Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and other states in the northern and eastern regions of India.”
Two women and their associates were the main subjects of the investigation, according to media reports. “These two women sent funds to Maoist groups in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. The raids were to find their exact roles in the Maoist organisation,” a source unveiled.
Investigators raided the house of an alleged human rights activist in Disergar, close to the Sitala shrine of Kulti in West Burdwan at 5:55 am. The woman spent the last 15 to 16 years residing in the area. According to locals, she was employed by a workers’ rights organization. The NIA team took possession of computer hard drives, an Android phone and some other papers following the four-hour operation. The officials raided the home of another woman in Panihati. They also looked for the home of a researcher in Asansol who had communicated with the two women.
An NIA official disclosed, “During the searches, we seized a trove of incriminating evidence, including documents, electronic devices, pamphlets, magazines, and handwritten letters. These materials are believed to provide crucial insights into the Maoist conspiracy and its network in the region.” The officer further mentioned, “As the investigation progresses, there are chances of further arrests and revelations in this case.”
Six people have been arrested in this case, which was filed at the NIA Police Station Ranchi in April 2022 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Those accused include Prashant Bose and Pramod Mishra of the CPI (Maoist) Polit Bureau and Sabyasachi Goswami of the Central Committee. “Thirteen top CPI (Maoist) leaders were named in the FIR along with others. Further investigations are continuing in the case,” the press release added. The searches took place as part of an inquiry into the conspiracy hatched by members of the Central Committee, cadres, and Maoist supporters of the Polit Bureau.
