The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday chargesheeted a top leader of the banned CPI (Maoist) from Telangana in a case relating to a conspiracy to promote left-wing extremism (LWE) in the country.
Officials said Sanjoy Deepak Rao, alias Sanjay Deepak Rao alias Vikas alias Anand alias Aravind, was a central committee member of the CPI(Maoist). He has been chargesheeted in the NIA Special Court of Hyderabad.
“Our probe revealed that the accused had actively recruited and radicalised other individuals to join the CPI(Maoist) in a systematic process and manner to carry [out] acts related to terror and violence, in conspiracy with other Maoist cadres,” an official release said. It added that he also raised funds to further the activities of the proscribed terrorist organisation, including the procurement of arms and ammunition.
The case was initially registered by the KPHB police of Telangana following his arrest from the Malaysian Township Area in KPHB on September 15, 2023. A revolver with ammunition, multiple forged Aadhaar cards, a laptop and cash were seized from his possession at the time of his arrest.
The NIA took over the investigation and re-registered the case on January 3, 2024.
A resident of Thane district of Maharashtra, the accused has been chargesheeted under sections 121A, 120B, 465, 471 of the IPC; sections 17,18, 18-B, 20, 38, 39, 40 of the UA(P) Act; and sections 25 (1-A) of the Arms Act. Further investigation into the case is under way.
