Lucknow, 06 Sept (HS): As part of a campaign to foil attempts by the outlawed CPI (Maoist) to relaunch its activities in the state, the National Investigation Agency has conducted raids at eight places in Uttar Pradesh, an official said on Wednesday. According to a federal agency spokeswoman, homes of suspects and accused were raided in the districts of Prayagraj, Chandauli, Varanasi, Deoria, and Azamgarh.
During the raids, authorities reportedly seized digital gadgets such mobile phones, SIM cards, laptops, pen drives, and compact discs as well as naxal literature, novels, pamphlets, pocket diaries, money receipt books, and other incriminating materials. Investigations show that several frontal organizations and student wings have been entrusted with inspiring and enlisting cadres and spreading the CPI (Maoist) ideology in order to wage war against the Indian government, the spokesperson added.
They were planning to carry out acts of terror and violence to achieve this cause, they continued.
According to the official, investigations revealed that recently detained CPI(Maoist) Central Committee member Pramod Mishra was in charge of ground workers and cadre in an effort to reconstitute the left-wing extremist group.
Rohit Vidyarthi, the brother of Ritesh Vidyarthi, whose wife is included in the FIR pertaining to the incident, was detained by the Bihar Police last month. The state police eventually detained Mishra, who was also in charge of the NRB (Northern Regional Bureau) of the CPI (Maoist), after Rohit Vidyarthi’s interrogation, according to the spokeswoman. The agency claimed that after these arrests, authorities raided a gun manufacturing, confiscated weapons, and ammo.
The NIA had previously named accused Manish Azad and his wife Amita Shireen, Ritesh Vidyarthi and his wife Soni Azad, as well as their associates Vishwavijay and his wife Seema Azad, Kripa Shankar, Akanksha Azad, and Rajesh Azad, as some of the key accused working to further the CPI (Maoist)’s attempts to revive itself.
Hindusthan Samachar/Abhishek Awasthi
