New Delhi, August 30: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday conducted raids in four states Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and UP in a Naxal recruitment case.
In a statement issued today, the NIA said that the raids continued on Friday as well.
According to the NIA, the investigation revealed that several frontal organizations and student wings have been tasked with motivating and recruiting cadres as well as propagating Naxal ideology with the aim of waging war against the Government of India. The accused conspired to carry out acts of terror and violence for this agenda. On September 6 last year, the NIA also took action on the efforts of Naxal leaders and cadres of the CPI (Maoist) to revive the banned terrorist organization.
The NIA has seized electronic devices and incriminating documents during raids conducted at the premises of the accused and suspects at eight locations in Prayagraj, Chandauli, Varanasi, Deoria and Azamgarh districts of Uttar Pradesh. These include several digital devices including mobile phones, laptops, pen drives, compact discs and memory cards, SIM cards, Naxalite literature, books, pamphlets, pocket diaries, money receipt books and other incriminating documents.
The NIA investigation at the time had indicated that several frontal organisations and student wings were tasked with propagating the ideology of the CPI (Maoist) as well as motivating and recruiting cadres with an intent to wage war against the Government of India. The accused were conspiring to commit acts of terror and violence to further this agenda.
The investigation also revealed that Pramod Mishra was leading cadres, sympathisers and OGWs of the CPI (Maoist) in efforts to revive the terror outfit.Earlier in August 2023, Bihar Police arrested Rohit Vidyarthi, brother of Ritesh Vidyarthi, whose wife is named in the FIR related to the case. After questioning Rohit, the state police arrested Pramod Mishra, CC member and in-charge of the Northern Regional Bureau (NRB) of the CPI (Maoist).Following these arrests, the state police seized arms, ammunition and a gun factory. Where a lathe machine was installed for manufacturing parts of weapons and assembling country-made firearms.
The FIR filed earlier by the NIA in this case names accused Manish Azad and Ritesh Vidyarthi along with their associates Vishwavijay. Vishwavijay’s wife Seema Azad, Manish Azad’s wife Amita Shirin, Kripa Shankar, Ritesh Vidyarthi’s wife Soni Azad, Akanksha Azad and Rajesh Azad as key persons working to further the revival efforts of the CPI (Maoist).
