Accused leading sympathizers, trying to revive banned CPI (Maoist), says NIA

According to the NIA, their investigations revealed that the accused identified as Pramod Mishra was leading the cadres and sympathizers, as well as, Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of CPI (Maoist) in the efforts to revive the banned organization

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday claimed that several frontal organisations and students’ wings have been tasked to revive the banned organisation Communist Party of India (Maoist) in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, “with an intent to wage war against the government of India”.

NIA on Ruesday conducted searches at eight locations in Prayagraj, Varanasi, Chandauli, Azamgarh and Deoria districts in UP (Representative Photo)

The statement comes a day after the anti-terrorism agency on Tuesday conducted searches at eight locations in Prayagraj, Varanasi, Chandauli, Azamgarh and Deoria districts in UP as part of their ongoing investigation into the “revival of a banned political party and alleged Naxal organisation”.

According to the officials, they are conspiring to commit acts of terror and violence in furtherance of this agenda.

According to the NIA, their investigations revealed that the accused identified as Pramod Mishra, was leading the cadres and sympathizers as well as Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of CPI (Maoist) in the efforts to revive the banned organisation.

Mishra, the CPI (Maoist) politburo and his associates were arrested last month from Gaya in Bihar.

They said the raids conducted on Tuesday were at the premises of such cadres and OGWs etc. at eight locations in five districts of Uttar Pradesh.

In the raids in UP, the NIA seized several digital devices along with SIM cards, Naxal literature, books, pamphlets, pocket diaries, money receipt books and other incriminating at the premises of ‘accused and suspects for Naxal links’ on Tuesday.

In a press note shared with the media on Wednesday, NIA said that the digital devices, including mobile phones, laptops, pen drives, compact discs and memory cards were seized during the consecutive raids at eight locations in Prayagraj, Chandauli, Varanasi, Deoria and Azamgarh districts.

Last month, the Bihar Police had arrested one Rohit Vidyarthi, the brother of Ritesh Vidyarthi, whose wife is named in the first information report (FIR) relating to the case.

Rohit’s interrogation had further led the Bihar police to the arrest of Pramod Mishra, core committee member and in-charge of the NRB (Northern Regional Bureau) of CPI (Maoist).

Following their arrests, the Bihar and UP police raided places and seized arms, ammunition and a gun factory.

Later, the NIA registered a case in connection naming Manish Azad and Ritesh Vidyarthi, along with their associates including People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) state president Seema Azad, her husband Vishwa Vijay, Amita Shireen, Kripa Shankar, Ritesh Vidyarthi’s wife Soni Azad wife, Akanksha Azad and Rajesh Azad as some of the key accused working to further the CPI (Maoist) revival attempts.