Raipur: Chhattisgarh police has busted a terror funding network linked to the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) after they arrested five men assigned with the task of collecting levy money and subsequently channelise it for various unlawful activities
The development occurred months after the Manpur police nabbed Sarju Tekam, an alleged associate of the banned outfit along seizing explosive materials and other incriminating documents from his house. It was later revealed that Tekam was indulged in spreading the footprint of the banned group across urban parts.
Further investigation into the case has now lead to arrest of Ramlal Karma, Vijay Durri, Sonaram Farsa, Rajendra Kadti, all resident of Bijapur along Vivek Singh, a permanent resident of Manpur who was currently residing in the capital city of Raipur.
The investigation into the case has unraveled that Tekam was in constant touch with Singh and the former before his trip to the national capital in March this year had sent money to Singh for arranging flight tickets for him and one of his associate. Moreover, Tekam had also received money from Singh’s account during his Delhi visit.
The revelation prompted the cops to go deeply through the call records and details of transactions of bank account linked to Vivek Singh which eventually led to the busting of the terror funding network.
The cops during the investigation came to know that funds collected as levy money from tendu patta contractors were routed through Singh’s State Bank of Mauritius account (Mumbai branch).
The levy money was collected with the help of other locals Maoist associates which was then routed through the bank accounts and subsequently channelized to the Maoists in cash for acquiring weapons, ration, medicines and other essentials.
Further it’s been revealed that the Maoists had set an extortion target of Rs one crore for the year 2022 and they had managed to collect a sum of Rs 60 lakhs in the first eight months only.
After gathering evidences against the accused the police arrested Vivek Singh along with four others in connection with the extortion network, the matter is still under investigation and information pertaining to other individuals’ part of the terror funding nexus is being extracted from the nabbed accused.
Who is Sarju Tekam
A resident of Manpur Mohla Ambagarh Chowki district, Tekam’s name grabbed the headlines after he openly called for violence against the leaders of the then opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the campaign for State assembly election held last year.
A video of the speech had also gone viral on the internet in which the local leader was heard giving a call for political violence against the BJP leaders. “If the BJP people came into the tribal regions during elections, you should stab them, and send them naked, I take the guarantee”, had remarked Tekam while addressing a political gathering near Vasishta Chowk at Manpur on July 31 last year.
तो अब नक्सलियों की अधिकारिक पार्टी है कांग्रेस…
मंच से खुलेआम कांग्रेसी नेता द्वारा भाजपा नेताओं की हत्या करने की धमकी दी जा रही है और कांग्रेस के विधायक इसका समर्थन कर रहे हैं।
मोहला-मानपुर में अब तक पाँच भाजपा कार्यकर्ताओं की हत्या हो चुकी है, क्या इसके पीछे कांग्रेसी… pic.twitter.com/U2UlpjC5Cs
— BJP Chhattisgarh (@BJP4CGState) July 31, 2023
Tekam during his address had also made disrespectful remarks against the parliamentarians and claimed that he was holding political rallies and agitations but the government did not respond to my letters. The only solution left is that those who betray you ‘kill’ them.
