The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted a key Naxal leader for being part of a larger conspiracy related to revival of the banned outfit CPI (Maoist) in Magadh area of the state, an official statement on Saturday said.
Vinod Mishra alias Binod Kumar Mishra, a close associate of polit bureau member and chief of north regional bureau of CPI (Maoist) Pramod Mishra alias Sohan Da alias Banwari Ji alias BB Ji alias Baba, has been named in the supplementary chargesheet filed before a special NIA court here on Friday, it said.
The investigations have revealed that accused Vinod Mishra provided shelter and logistics support to leaders /cadres of CPI (Maoist) for holding meetings at his house for furtherance of their nefarious activities as part of their efforts to revive and strengthen the proscribed organisation in Magadh zone (Gaya and Aurangabad area, Bihar), said the statement issued by the NIA.
The case under probe originated from the arrest of two top leaders of the CPI (Maoist) on August 10, 2023.
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NIA joins Bhiwani-Prayagraj Express derailment attempt probe, surveys site in Kanpur An NIA team has joined the ongoing probe in Kanpur where a major train accident was averted by a loco pilot who brought the Bhiwani-Prayagraj Express to a screeching halt after it hit an LPG cylinder on the tracks on Sunday night, police said. According to the police, bottles of petrol and matchboxes were also found at the site hinting at a sabotage bid, the reason why a high-level team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been rushed in to join the investigations. "A team from the NIA, led by a woman IPS officer of the 2012 batch has started investigating the site where the LPG cylinder was found placed on the railway tracks," a senior police officer told PTI from Kanpur. "The NIA officials have started gathering details about the incident. They are also undertaking a survey of the entire area around the railway tracks (where the LPG cylinder was found)," Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Rajesh Kumar Singh said. ADG Railways has also arrived, a police official confirmed. "The NIA officials... asked the police to make a survey of railway tracks in the large areas believing it might be helpful in getting breakthrough into the case," he added. "A detailed press note will be issued from Delhi," an officer at the NIA control room said, when he was approached to share details of the ongoing investigations into the incident that occurred around 8.20 pm on Sunday. An FIR has been registered and teams have been formed by multiple agencies including Uttar Pradesh's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the NIA to probe the matter, officials said. The Kanpur Police has detained six people, including two local history-sheeters, in connection with the case and decided to form a Special Investigation Team, they said, adding it will also study if there are any similarities with the recent Sabarmati Express derailment in Kanpur. "An attempt was made to derail the Kalindi Express by placing the LPG cylinder on the tracks," the police said. Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Harish Chander said 4-5 grams of explosive powder apart from a bottle filled with petrol and a wick, matchboxes and an LPG cylinder which was placed on the tracks to derail the train have been recovered. He said the loco pilot saw that the LPG cylinder was placed on the tracks and applied emergency brakes. However, before it came to a halt, the train hit the cylinder, knocking it off the tracks, Chander said, adding the loco pilot informed the guard and the gateman about it. The train remained at the incident site for about 20 minutes and was again stopped at the Bilhaur station for a check, the Additional CP said. Efforts were being made to identify the culprits and they will be dealt with sternly, he said. The Railways lodged an FIR at Shivrajpur against unidentified persons, saying placing of an LPG cylinder on the tracks along with a bottle filled with petrol and a wick suggests a possible sabotage bid. A senior officer said the FIR has been lodged against "unidentified" accused under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and under provisions of the Explosives Act, 1884 and Railways Act. Top officials have formed five teams to investigate the matter. "As many as six persons, including two local history-sheeters, were detained on Monday for questioning in connection with the incident," DCP Singh said. The Kanpur Police has also decided to form an SIT, to be headed by a senior rank official, to investigate the matter. The police will study if there are any similarities in pattern and modus operandi of the recent Sabarmati Express derailment that took place about 20 days ago in the Panki area here, an officer said. Twenty coaches of the Ahmedabad-bound Sabarmati Express passenger train had derailed near Govindpuri station in Kanpur after the engine hit an object placed on the track. Officials had said agencies were investigating the possible involvement of anti-social elements in the incident. UP Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said, "All our senior officers have visited the spot and we are looking into things seriously. Whatever facts come to light, we will inform the media about them." On a question about the ATS also reaching the spot in Kanpur, the DGP said, "We will look into all the aspects and it is not possible to say anything on this without a full investigation." It has also been decided to look for "Jamatis (members of Islamic groups) in the vicinity and question them," an official source said. ATS' Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nilabja Chowdhry said the investigators will "look into every aspect" of the incident under their probe. ACP Chander said forensic experts examined the explosive powder and will suggest as to which central laboratory should be roped in for the forensic examinations. "It is too early to reach conclusions whether or not the terror groups are behind the conspiracy as police couldn't rule out any possibility," he said. The modus operandi behind an abortive attempt to derail the train showed it was an act of an "unskilled" person and it could be an insider's job too, said an official, requesting anonymity. "We also sought mobile towers' data (call detailed records containing subscribers' information) for the last six days, believing it will help police in cracking the case but several mobile service providers failed to provide it," the official added.
Various Naxal literatures, handwritten letters and seven memory cards were seized from their possession at the time of their arrest, it said.
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The seized memory cards contained various photographs, letters, correspondences and literature related to the Naxal activities.
The NIA had taken over the probe in October last year and registered the case against three accused persons, including Pramod Mishra, along with accused Anil Yadav alias Ankush alias Lavkush and Vinod Mishra, besides others.
In February 2024, the agency had chargesheeted Pramod Mishra and Anil Yadav, sub-zonal committee member of the CPI (M).
Vinod Mishra, who had been evading arrest since the registration of the case, was nabbed on March 20, 2024 from Dhanbad, Jharkhand.
The investigations have revealed that the arrested accused and others were engaged in propagating the anti-India ideology of the CPI (Maoist) and were also in the process of recruiting cadres and collecting levy to further their agenda to revive the outfit in the Magadh zone with the aim to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, the NIA said.
