Bihar: NIA chargesheets sixth accused in CPI (Maoist) Magadh zone revival case

New Delhi, Dec 3 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheeted another accused in the Magadh (Zone) CPI (Maoist) revival attempts case, an official said on Tuesday.

Binod Shankar alias Vinod Shankar Singh, a resident of Kaimur district of Bihar, is the sixth accused to be chargesheeted in the case.

A supplementary charge sheet was filed against him on Monday under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act before the NIA Special Court in Patna.

The accused has several previous criminal cases registered against him in various police stations in various parts of district Aurangabad in Bihar.

NIA had earlier chargesheeted five other accused persons in the case registered on September 26, 2023, in connection with the attempts of the proscribed terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist) to revive Naxalism in Bihar's Magadh zone.

As per NIA investigations, Binod was an active member of CPI (Maoist) and was involved in propagating the banned terrorist organisation’s anti-national ideology. In collaboration with other chargesheeted accused persons, he was working to radicalise gullible youth. He was also working as a courier between the cadres of CPI (Maoist).

Earlier last week, Maoist commander Chhotu Kharwar, a notorious figure with a bounty of Rs 15 lakh on his head, was killed in an internal clash among Maoist factions in the Nawadih area of Latehar, Jharkhand, on November 26.

In addition to the Rs 15 lakh bounty announced by Jharkhand Police, the NIA had also declared a Rs 3 lakh reward for his arrest, making him one of the most wanted Maoists in the country.

Chhotu had been actively expanding the Maoist presence in the Koel and Shankh zones after fleeing from Budha Pahad, a former Maoist den, during the security forces' 'Operation Octopus' conducted last year.

In 2016, the Balumath Police seized Rs 3 lakh from a Chit Fund company manager, Chandan Kumar, who claimed that the funds belonged to Chhotu. A deposit slip revealing Chhotu's investment of Rs 26 lakh was also discovered during the investigation.

This financial trail prompted the NIA to take over the case in January 2018.

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