NIA Charges Two in Jharkhand Maoist Conspiracy Case

The National Investigation Agency has charge-sheeted Aghnu Ganjhu and Khudi Munda for conspiring to attack security forces in Jharkhand. This brings the total number of charge-sheeted individuals to 31. The investigation, continuing since 2022, aims to dismantle the CPI (Maoist) network and prevent anti-India activities.

The National Investigation Agency has charge-sheeted two members of the CPI (Maoist) for being part of a conspiracy to attack security forces in Jharkhand, according to a statement issued on Wednesday.

Aghnu Ganjhu alias Agnu Ganjhu and Khudi Munda, both residents of the state, have been named in the charge-sheet filed on Tuesday in a Special NIA Court in Ranchi, it said. The charge-sheet has been filed under the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act, Explosive Substance Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the statement issued by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said.

This takes the total number of people charge-sheeted in the case to 31. Initially, nine people were charge-sheeted by the Jharkhand Police in the case registered in 2022. After taking over the investigation, the NIA had filed three supplementary charge-sheets against 20 people between August and December last year.

The members of the proscribed outfit, CPI (Maoist), had conspired to execute an attack on security forces in the Bauxite mines area in Jharkhand to take revenge against the arrest of their top commander, Prashant Bose, the statement said.

In June 2022, a large number of them led by CPI (Maoist) regional commander Ravindra Ganjhu along with active members Balram Oraon, Muneshwar Ganjhu and 45-60 others had assembled in a forested area of Bulbul in Jharkhand's Lohardaga district to execute their nefarious plans, it said.

Personnel of the Jharkhand Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had carried out a joint search operation on being tipped off about the plan. On their way to Bahabar jungle at Harkatta Toli and Bangla Pat, the security forces came under indiscriminate fire by members of the CPI (Maoist). Subsequent search of the area had led to the recovery of a large quantity of arms and ammunition, the probe agency said.

NIA investigations have revealed that the members of the banned outfit had conspired to cause harm to the integrity, security and sovereignty of the nation, and destabilise the government through terrorism, violent acts and armed rebellion. Credible evidence collected by the NIA against the arrested people in the case, including zonal commander, sub-zonal commander, area commander and members, has also revealed complicity of other CPI (Maoist) members and overground supporters, the statement said.

''Investigations in the case are continuing, and the NIA is striving to destroy the naxal network and scuttle the outfit's anti-India conspiracy,'' it added.

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