E-Paper
NIA conducts searches to check revival of Naxal ideology
Investigations revealed that several frontal organisations and student wings had been tasked with motivating and recruiting cadres, as well as propagating Naxal ideology, with the aim of waging war against the government of India
LUCKNOW The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday conducted searches at multiple locations across Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh as part of efforts to scuttle the attempts of urban Naxals to revive their presence in the Northern Regional Bureau area, the agency stated.
Investigations revealed that several frontal organisations and student wings had been tasked with motivating and recruiting cadres, as well as propagating Naxal ideology, with the aim of waging war against the government of India.
Nine locations, linked with various accused and suspects, were searched as part of the crackdown. These included two locations each in UP and Haryana, four locations in Punjab and one in Delhi. All these states, along with Himachal Pradesh, constitute the National Regional Bureau (NRB), which the organization is aggressively targeting in a bid to re-energize itself, confirmed a NIA spokesman. In UP, the NIA carried out searches in Prayagraj and Maharajganj.
In Prayagraj, officials raided the room of Devendra Azad, co-secretary of Inquilabi Chhatra Morcha, and questioned him for around six hours. The team seized some documents along with some literature. He was served a notice and asked to be present at NIA Lucknow office for questioning on September 15. As per reports, the NIA team accompanied by local police reached Devendra’s room at a lodge in Shivkuti area.
Hailing from Agra, Devendra was preparing for competitive examinations after completing his MA from Allahabad University. He is active in protests regarding the rights of students and is also a member of the working committee of Civil Society. PUCL president Seema Azad said the action was condemnable.
Additionally, the NIA searched the house of one suspected member’s house in Karmahia village in Maharajganj district, a house in Doma village and a father-son duo was taken into custody for questioning. Some people of Musahar community in Doma village were also questioned in the matter, said officials.
Several digital devices (laptops, mobile phones, pen drives, compact discs, hard drives, compact discs, memory cards, SIM cards, and pocket diaries) were seized during the searches, conducted at the premises of the suspects. These suspects were receiving funds for propagation of Naxal ideology, investigations revealed.
