NIA files charge sheet against 5 top Maoist leaders in Jharkhand

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against five top leaders of the proscribed CPI (Maoist) in a case related to attempts by the outfit to revive its terror plans and agenda in various states of the country, an official said on Wednesday.

The charge sheet against the accused was filed in the NIA Special Court in Ranchi in Jharkhand, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.

The official said this is the first charge sheet filed in the case relating to a criminal conspiracy by the proscribed organisation to expand, revive and propagate its violent ideology in Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and other states.

The five charge-sheeted accused along with other top leaders of the CPI (Maoist) were actively engaged in recruitment, raising funds for terrorist acts, procuring arms and ammunition, and providing training in weapons handling, field craft and IED fabrication, the spokesperson of the NIA said.

The official said the accused had also liaised with incarcerated CPI (Maoist) members and over-ground workers to achieve their objectives.

Those charge-sheeted include politburo member Prashant Bose alias "Kishan da" alias "Nirbhay" alias "Kajal" alias "Mahesh" alias "Kishan ji". He was heading the organisation's eastern regional bureau.

The spokesperson said Bose was one of the most important Maoist leaders in Bihar and Jharkhand and was arrested in the case on August 10 last year. Forty-seven criminal cases are registered against him in police stations in Jharkhand.

Another charge-sheeted accused is Nunuchand Mahto alias "Nunulal Mahto" alias "Lakhan" alias "Tiger" alias "Mukhiya ji" alias "Neta ji". Sixty cases are registered against the sub-zonal commander in Jharkhand.

He was arrested along with Bose and two other accused -- Duryodhan Prasad Mahto alias "Mithilesh Singh" alias "Awdhesh" alias "Badka Da" alias "Bada Babu" and Krishna Hansda alias "Saurav Da" alias "Avinash Krishna", the NIA said.

Mahto was the regional committee member of the CPI (Maoist) and there are 77 cases against him. Hansda was the CPI (Maoist) regional committee member and sub-zonal 'C' commander and has 37 criminal cases against him.

The fifth charge-sheeted accused is Pramod Mishra alias "Banbihari ji" alias "Neta ji" alias "Sohan Da" alias "Doctor Sahab" alias "BB Ji" alias "Baba Ji" alias "Janardan" alias "Jonathan".

Mishra is also a politburo member of the CPI (Maoist) and was heading the northern regional bureau of the organisation and was trying to revive and strengthen the outfit in Bihar with funding and support provided by the eastern regional bureau, the spokesperson said.

He was arrested in September last year and has 47 criminal cases registered against him in various police stations in Jharkhand and Bihar.

The five have been charged under various offences under the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case registered by the NIA against nearly two dozen CPI (Maoist) leaders, the official said.

Following the registration of the case, the official said, the NIA had conducted raids and investigations in various states affected by left wing extremism.

It collected significant evidence establishing the charges and also found that the accused had conspired to collect levy as well as procure arms and ammunition with the aim to revive and strengthen the CPI (Maoist) organisation and its activities, the spokesperson said.