NIA conducts raids in J'khand's Giridih in CPI (Maoist) related case

New Delhi, Dec 27 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday searched multiple locations in Jharkhand's Giridih district in a CPI (Maoist)-related case, an official said.

The NIA in a statement said: "Houses and other premises of suspects and over ground workers (OGWs) were extensively searched by NIA teams, which seized several mobile phones and SIM cards etc. The seized items are under examination."

"The case RC-01/2023/NIA-RNC emanated from the arrest of Krishna Hansda, a Naxal cadre of the proscribed terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist). Handa, a Regional Committee Member of CPI(Maoist), was arrested from Lucio forest area of Dumri PS in January 2023," the statement read.

During the investigation, the NIA, which took over the case in June 2023, unearthed the links of several suspects and OGWs believed to be involved in supplying logistics and electronic items to CPI (Maoist) in the Parasnath area of district Giridih.

"Today’s searches were part of NIA’s investigations against these suspects and OGWs," the statement read.

The probe into the case is continuing.

The NIA is India's specialised counter-terrorism law enforcement agency which is empowered to deal with the investigation into terror-related crimes across states.

It is empowered to investigate cases that involve threats to the country's sovereignty, security, and integrity.

The agency is also authorised to conduct searches, make seizures and arrests, and also collect evidence and maintain a database of terrorist organisations and their members.

It came into existence with the enactment of the National Investigation Agency Act 2008 by Parliament on December 31, 2008. The Act was passed after the 26/11 terror attacks that had left Mumbai -- the country's financial capital -- in tatters.

The NIA has its headquarters in Delhi, and it also has branches across many Indian cities, such as Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kolkata, Raipur, Jammu, Chandigarh, Ranchi, Chennai and Imphal.