The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted day-long searches on Tuesday at eight locations in five districts of Uttar Pradesh as part of a new campaign against Naxals. Among the evidence collected were money receipt books, various digital gadgets, and other damning documents.
The NIA raids targeted CPI (Maoist) and Naxal leaders and members who were attempting to resurrect the outlawed terrorist group. According to the NIA, raids were carried out at eight places in the Uttar Pradesh districts of Prayagraj, Chandauli, Varanasi, Deoria, and Azamgarh on the homes of the accused and suspects.
“Several digital devices, including mobile phones, laptops, pen drives, compact discs and memory cards, were seized during the raids, along with SIM cards, naxal literature, books, pamphlets, pocket diaries, money receipt books and other incriminating documents,” said the anti-terror agency.
NIA investigations indicate that several frontal organisations and students wings have been tasked to motivate and recruit cadres and propagate the ideology of CPI (Maoist ) with the intent of waging a war against the Government of India, it said.
“They were conspiring to commit acts of terror and violence in furtherance of this agenda” the agency added.
Investigations have also revealed that Pramod Mishra was leading the cadres and sympathizers and Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of CPI (Maoist) in the efforts to revive the terror organisation, said the agency.
The raids were conducted on Tuesday in the case (RC-01/2023/NIA-LKW).
Earlier, last month, Bihar Police had arrested one Rohit Vidyarthi, the brother of Ritesh Vidyarthi whose wife is named in the FIR relating to the case. Rohit’s interrogation had further led the State Police to the arrest of Pramod Mishra, CC Member and In-Charge of the NRB (Northern Regional Bureau) of CPI (Maoist). Following these arrests, the state police had seized arms, ammunition and a Gun factory, where a lathe had been installed for making parts of weapons and assembling countrymade weapons in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The FIR filed by the NIA in connection with the case earlier had named accused Manish Azad and Ritesh Vidyarthi, along with their associates Vishwavijay, Seema Azad, Amita Shireen, Kripa Shankar, Soni Azad, Akanksha Azad and Rajesh Azad as some of the key accused working to further the CPI (Maoist) revival attempts.