PLFI terror funding case: NIA seizes huge cache of ammunition in Jharkhand

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has seized a huge cache of ammunition from a Naxal hideout in a forest area in Jharkhand, an official said on Saturday.

The seizure of 1,245 rounds of 7.62 MM and 271 rounds of 5.56 MM ammunition from a dense forest in the Kamdara area of Gumla district on Friday was made on the disclosure of the self-styled supremo of the proscribed People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) Dinesh Gope, who was arrested last week, a spokesperson of the agency said.

''The seized ammunition was received at Siksohara, Nalanda (Bihar), about two years ago. It had been carefully stashed away for eventual delivery to PLFI operatives and cadres for carrying acts of terror and violence,'' the official said.

Gope, who had over 100 criminal cases against him and was carrying a reward of Rs 30 lakh, was arrested on May 21 from Delhi, and is currently in NIA custody. Most of these cases relate to abduction, threats, extortion, murder and raising funds for the PLFI, a militant Maoist outfit formed in 2007 in Jharkhand and splinter group of the Communist party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist).

Known by aliases of ''Kuldeep Yadav'' and ''Badku'', Gope of Jharkhand's Khunti district was earlier chargesheeted by the NIA in the case related to the recovery of demonetised currency of Rs 25.38 lakhs from PLFI operatives.

According to the NIA, On February 3 last year, an encounter had taken place between a Gope-led PLFI squad and security personnel in the forest area under Gudri police station of Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district.

Several rounds were fired in the encounter before the rebels sneaked into the forest and Gope managed to escape. He had been on the run since then, taking shelter at different places while making all efforts to re-establish the PLFI's stronghold in Jharkhand.

Gope used to extort money and execute attacks through his PLFI team members to terrorise businessmen, contractors and the public at large.

The NIA investigations revealed that the ''accused, along with his associates, was involved in depositing the demonetised currency in a bank account at a petrol pump, to be later collected through levy or extortion''.

The illegal money was then invested through banking channels and dubious shell companies in the name of close associates and family members of Gope, the spokesperson said.

The case was initially registered on November 10, 2016 at Bero police station, Ranchi, and re-registered by the NIA on January 19, 2018.

Police had filed the first chargesheet against four people on January 9, 2017, while the NIA filed the first supplementary chargesheet in the case against 11 accused, including Gope. Subsequently, the federal agency filed a second supplementary chargesheet in the case on July 23, 2022 against five individuals and three private limited companies.

The NIA had also attached 14 bank accounts and seized two cars from an accused, Shakuntala Kumari, along with some property and cash, in the case, the agency said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)