NIA nabs wanted Naxal cadre in Mumbai

New Delhi, Jan 15 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a Naxal cadre wanted in connection with the revival of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit.

Chandan Kumar was nabbed in Mumbai, the central probe agency said in a statement.

A resident of district Jehanabad, Bihar, Chandan Kumar was an active member of CPI (Maoist), and was involved in raising funds and encouraging old cadres to re-join the outfit to carry out acts of terrorism, it said.

The NIA special court in Ranchi, Jharkhand, had earlier declared Chandan as an absconder and, in October 2023, issued non-bailable arrest warrants against him.

In December 2021, the NIA registered a case suo moto against Pradyuman Sharma, a Special Area Committee Member of CPI(Maoist), Yogendra Ravidas, Nagendra Giri, an armed cadre of CPI (Maoist), Abhinav, and Dhananjay Paswan, an arms supplier for the outfit.

According to the agency's investigation, the accused conspired to revive the CPI (Maoist) in Magadh Zone, and, to that end, raised funds for procuring arms and ammunition and training the organisation's cadres in cobbling up improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.

The funds were raised through extortion and imposing levies on contractors, and were laundered through various channels, the probe agency said.

NIA investigations revealed that the accused had also planned to contact incarcerated Naxals and Over Ground Workers (OGWs) lodged across jails for carrying out terrorist acts.

Following its investigation, the agency chargesheeted the five, all members of CPI (Maoist), and launched a manhunt for Chandan Kumar. PTI AKV VN VN