Lanji forest IED blast case: NIA files chargesheet against 19 Naxals

National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday filed chargesheet against 19 Maoists in the case of Lanji forest IED blast in Jharkhand's West Singbhum district.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday filed chargesheet against 19 Maoists in the case of Lanji forest IED blast in Jharkhand's West Singbhum district. The agency filed the chargesheet in a special NIA court here under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), sections 3 and 4 of Explosive Substance Act and sections 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, against the 19 accused persons including four arrested accused-- Ramrai Hasda, Nelson Kandir, Sorto Mahli and Mangal Munda-- and 15 absconding accused.

The case pertains to IED blast that took place on March 4 this year at 8:30 am in the Lanji forest hill area located under Toklo police station in West Singhbhum district, resulting in the death of three personnel of Jharkhand Jaguar (STF) and grievous injuries to others. The case was originally registered at Toklo police station on March 4. NIA had re-registered a case later and taken over the investigation.

The investigation has established that the arrested accused Ramrai Hasda, was a close associate of the senior CPI (Maoist) leadership operating in that area, NIA said in a statement. "On the directions of the top Commanders of CPI (Maoist), who are the absconding accused in this chargesheet, accused Ramrai Hasda along with other accused Nelson Kandir, Sorto Mahali and Mangal Munda had conducted recce and finalized the location for the deadly attack.

"Anal Da, Maharaj Pramanik, Aptan Manjhi, Champa, Bhuneshwar, Merina Sirka, Rila Mala, Suraj Sardar, Sunita, Sarita, Gita, Mangal Munda and Amit Munda are the armed cadres and top commanders of CPI(Maoist) who all had conspired and carried out the IED blast in Lanji forest hill area at the identified location along with aforementioned arrested accused persons," said the NIA. Absconding accused Suli Kandir and Sawan Tuti are the overground workers, who had raised funds and provided logistics support to the Maoists and were part of the conspiracy for executing the IED blast, the NIA said. Further investigation is being done in the case. (ANI)

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