NIA chargesheets key Maoist leader

Patna: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted a key Naxal leader for being part of a larger conspiracy related to revival of the banned outfit CPI (Maoist) in Magadh area of the state, an official statement on Saturday said.

Vinod Mishra alias Binod Kumar Mishra, a close associate of polit bureau member and chief of north regional bureau of CPI (Maoist) Pramod Mishra alias Sohan Da alias Banwari Ji alias BB Ji alias Baba, has been named in the supplementary chargesheet filed before a special NIA court here on Friday, it said.

The investigations have revealed that accused Vinod Mishra provided shelter and logistics support to leaders /cadres of CPI (Maoist) for holding meetings at his house for furtherance of their nefarious activities as part of their efforts to revive and strengthen the proscribed organisation in Magadh zone (Gaya and Aurangabad area, Bihar), said the statement issued by the NIA.

The case under probe originated from the arrest of two top leaders of the CPI (Maoist) on August 10, 2023.

Various Naxal literatures, handwritten letters and seven memory cards were seized from their possession at the time of their arrest, it said.

The seized memory cards contained various photographs, letters, correspondences and literature related to the Naxal activities.

The NIA had taken over the probe in October last year and registered the case against three accused persons, including Pramod Mishra, along with accused Anil Yadav alias Ankush alias Lavkush and Vinod Mishra, besides others.

In February 2024, the agency had chargesheeted Pramod Mishra and Anil Yadav, sub-zonal committee member of the CPI (M).

Vinod Mishra, who had been evading arrest since the registration of the case, was nabbed on March 20, 2024 from Dhanbad, Jharkhand.

The investigations have revealed that the arrested accused and others were engaged in propagating the anti-India ideology of the CPI (Maoist) and were also in the process of recruiting cadres and collecting levy to further their agenda to revive the outfit in the Magadh zone with the aim to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, the NIA said.