NIA Conducts 7 Raids In Jharkhand And Bihar In Connection With 2018 CPI Murder Case (Maoist)

In relation to a heinous murder committed by members of the CPI (Maoist), a designated terrorist organisation, roughly five years ago, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has searched seven places in Jharkhand and Bihar, according to an official on Thursday.

Naresh Singh Bhokta, the victim, was kidnapped and assassinated on the evening of November 2, 2018, after being falsely accused of being a police informant by the CPI (Maoist) senior leadership and Naxal cadres at a purported “Jan Adalat” (public hearing) held by the outlawed terrorist group.

His body was discovered close to Badhai Bigha hamlet in the Madanpur police station neighbourhood of Bihar’s Aurangabad district.

In connection with the murder case that the federal agency filed last year, an NIA spokeswoman said searches were carried out on the homes of the accused and suspects in the Bihar districts of Gaya and Aurangabad as well as the Jharkhand district of Palamu.

“The searches were conducted on the residential premises of five arrested commanders and two suspected OGWs/supporters of the CPI (Maoist). The searches led to the seizure of various digital devices, viz. mobile phones, SIM cards, along with incriminating documents,” the official said.

On June 24 of last year, the NIA took over the case from the Bihar Police, and nine people have already been brought into custody as part of the investigation.

Ajay Singh Bhokta was one of the accused in the case, and the NIA had filed a supplemental chargesheet against him in February under many sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The NIA collected the weapons and vehicles used in the murder during its investigations, the spokesperson added, and it also learned that top CPI (Maoist) commanders were involved in the murderous plot.

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