KOLKATA: The NIA on Tuesday arrested the former managing director of a Jharkhand-based power and natural resources company from his Salt Lake home in connection with alleged funding of a CPI (Maoist) splinter group.
Mahesh Agarwal was arrested after a Jharkhand court turned down his "no coercive action" plea. A special NIA court on Wednesday sent him to four days' transit remand.
"There was a stay on the non-bailable warrant against him that was vacated on Tuesday," said NIA lawyer Debashis Mallick Choudhury. NIA officers and Bidhannagar cops reached his home around 10.30am on Tuesday. Sources said Agarwal tried to flee in a car with a Nagaland number plate but was caught. Agarwal's lawyer Ayan Bhattacharya claimed he was falsely implicated and his name appeared only in second supplementary charge sheet. Despite testing Covid-positive on January 14, he was held, he said.
The case, first filed at Tandwa police station at Chatra in Jharkhand, is about payments made to Jharkhand militant outfit Tritiya Prastuti Committee by corporate entities. NIA learnt Agarwal paid Rs 200 for every tonne of coal to transporters and the money was passed on to TPC members to ensure trucks' smooth passage. Agarwal allegedly helped TPC members to raise funds. The agency also produced emails that indicated Agarwal was aware of the money being paid to TPC.
"Extortion, endangering life, concealing stolen property sections under UAPA are slapped on Agarwal," said NIA lawyer Shyamal Ghosh.
