NIA arrests absconding CPI (Maoist) member wanted for reviving banned outfit in Bihar

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency has arrested an absconding politburo member wanted in a conspiracy case to revive and strengthen the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation in Bihar, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

The accused Vinod Mishra alias Binod Mishra was arrested from Dhanbad district in Jharkhand by an NIA team which was trailing him for several days after receiving inputs about his hideouts in Jharkhand.

"The NIA has arrested an absconding accused in the conspiracy to revive and strengthen the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation in Magadh zone, Bihar," the federal probe agency said in the statement.

Vinod was named in an FIR related to the case and had been on the run for the past eight months.

A close associate and distant relative of CPI (Maoist) north region bureau chief and a politburo member, Vinod had provided shelter and logistics to senior leaders of the organisation in his house, according to the NIA's investigation.

The NIA has been investigating the case since August 31, 2023 and has so far chargesheeted Pramod Mishra alias Sohan Da alias Banwari Ji alias BB Ji alias Baba, a politburo member, along with Anil Yadav alias Ankush alias Lavkush, a sub-zonal committee member of CPI (Maoist), who were arrested earlier in the case, the statement said.

The state police had registered a case on August 10 last year following the duo's arrest from the house of Vinod Mishra, from where they were conspiring to reactivate and strengthen the proscribed terror outfit in Magadh zone which comprises the Gaya and Aurangabad areas, it said.

All three were named in the FIR registered at Tekari police station, the statement added.