NIA cracks down on CPI (Maoist) revival efforts in Northern India

| Updated: 30 August, 2024 6:58 pm IST

NEW DELHI – In a significant operation aimed at thwarting the resurgence of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted extensive searches across multiple locations in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh on Friday. This crackdown is part of the NIA’s ongoing efforts to dismantle the terrorist group’s attempts to re-establish its presence in the Northern Regional Bureau (NRB) area.

The NIA raided a total of nine locations linked to various accused and suspects. These included four locations in Punjab, two each in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, and one in Delhi. The targeted states, along with Himachal Pradesh, form the NRB, which the CPI (Maoist) is aggressively targeting to rejuvenate its operations.

During the searches, the NIA seized several digital devices, including laptops, mobile phones, pen drives, compact discs, hard drives, memory cards, and SIM cards. Additionally, pocket diaries were confiscated from the premises of suspects believed to be close aides of the accused in the ongoing investigation.

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NIA investigations have revealed that these suspects were receiving funds to propagate the CPI (Maoist) ideology from Prashant Bose, the former head of the Eastern Regional Bureau (ERB). The ERB, particularly in Jharkhand, had been financing these suspects, who are believed to be long-time associates and overground workers (OGWs) of the accused, to recruit cadres and bolster the organisation’s presence in the northern states.

Further investigations have led to the identification of several front organisations and student wings tasked with recruiting suitable individuals to work as underground cadres. These cadres are intended to wage a war against the Government of India and carry out violent terrorist acts in line with the proscribed outfit’s ideology.

The NIA’s operation marks a crucial step in curbing the CPI (Maoist)’s efforts to re-establish itself in northern India. The agency has vowed to continue its investigations to dismantle the network of the banned organisation and prevent any future threats to national security.

Further investigations are continuing in the case.