The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed supplementary chargesheet against 16 accused, including a woman, in connection with the CPI (Maoist) arms and ammunition seizure case of Jharkhand.
The case pertains to the arrest of CPI (Maoist) operatives and the seizure of a huge cache of arms and ammunition from Peshrar in Lohardaga. On February 21 last year, the local police had registered a First Information Report to conduct a probe. The NIA took it over on June 14, 2022.
The arrests and the seizures had followed a raid in the forest area of Bulbul, where CPI (Maoist) self-styled regional commander Ravindra Ganjhu, along with Balram Oraon, Muneshwar Ganjhu, Balak Ganjhu, Dinesh Nagesia, Aghnu Ganjhu, Lajim Ansari, Markush Nagesia, Sanjay Nagesia, Sheela Kherwar, Lalita Devi and around 60 others, had assembled to allegedly conspire and plan violent attacks on the security forces and in the bauxite mines area.
A joint operation was conducted by the local police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), during which the CPI (Maoist) cadre had fired indiscriminately on the security personnel on way to Bahabar Jungle in Harkatta Toli and Bangla Pat. Searches in the surrounding areas had later led to the detection of a large quantity of arms, ammunition, explosives and other items.
The NIA investigation revealed that top commanders and other members of the banned outfit had entered into a criminal conspiracy at Budha Pahar during August-September 2022, to take “revenge against the arrest of senior CPI (Maoist) leader Prashant Bose”. They intended to carry out terrorist acts against the security forces and the police, as alleged.
Among those named in the supplementary chargesheet are Balram Oraon, Saileshwar Oraon, Dasrath Singh Kherwar, Shailender Nagesia, Markush Nagesia, Mukesh, Biren Korwa, Sheela Kherwar, Sanjay Nagesia, Balak Ganjhu and Govind Birijia.
The Jharkhand police had earlier chargesheeted nine other accused in the same matter.
In September 2022, Burha Pahar was freed from the control of the banned outfit following a counter-insurgency offensive codenamed Operation Octopus, jointly launched by the CRPF and special teams from the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), Jharkhand Jaguar.
A large bunker was demolished and a huge cache of explosives and ammunition seized. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had termed the mission a “historic milestone” in the fight against Left Wing Extremism.
