RANCHI: National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday, October 5 chargesheeted two more accused in connection with a case related to revival and strengthening of the banned outfit, People Liberation Front of India (PLFI), said the agency in an official statement issued on Saturday’s evening.
Kapil Pathak aka Rana Singh aka Arjun Rana aka Pandit ji, a resident of Dhemaji, Assam and Binod Munda aka Sukhu aka Dahura, a resident of Khunti district of Jharkhand were chargesheeted under various sections of Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita, Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by the agency in a supplementary chargesheet filed before a special NIA court on Saturday.
The agency during the course of investigation has found the involvement of both the chargesheeted accused in hatching a conspiracy to revive and strengthen the banned group PLFI. “Kapil Pathak, head of the Odisha state committee of PLFI and Binod Munda, area commander of Karara area of Khunti were involved in raising extortion money and channelizing them from Jharkhand to Assam,” added the release issued by the NIA.
The NIA’s investigation into the case has revealed that Pathak had supplied 1 country made rifle, 1 country made pistol, 57 rounds of 7.62 MM prohibited ammunition and other rounds to Binod Munda. The said arms and ammunition were later seized by the NIA from possession of Munda.
According to NIA, theses cadres of the PLFI had also conspired to commit various terrorist activities, including murders, arson, and violent attacks to create terror among the masses, particularly the businessmen and contractors.
NIA Chargesheets 2 Accused in PLFI Revival Attempts Case pic.twitter.com/F25k2MA88h
— NIA India (@NIA_India) October 5, 2024
It is to be noted that the NIA had already chargesheeted two other accused in connection with the case in June this year. Nivesh Kumar alias Nivesh Poddar and Raman Kumar Sonu alias Sonu Pandit were chargesheeted for various offences by the agency in the chargesheet filed before a special NIA court, Ranchi.
Both Poddar and Pandit were apprehended by the NIA from the national capital in a massive crackdown carried out on multiple locations, linked to PLFI across the country in December last year. According to the NIA’s investigation, the chargesheeted accused were involved in a conspiracy to strengthen, revive PLFI, an unlawful group engaged in waging a war against the government of Bharat.
The NIA’s investigation into the case has further revealed that the cahrgesheeted accused were engaged in generation of funds through extortion from various coal traders, transporters, railway contractors, businessmen etc. in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Bihar.
PLFI Revival Case
The case was suo motto registered by the NIA under various sections of IPC and UAPA in October last year, following information of terror financing activities through levy extortion by PLFI members.
The sleuths of the agency had raided over 20 locations linked to PLFI across Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and New Delhi in connection with the case in December last year. The officials during the raids had also seized Indian army uniforms, incriminating devices and documents, arms and ammunition and cash.
NIA Arrests 2 Accused in Massive Crackdown on Banned PLFI in 4 States pic.twitter.com/pI5FU1wNi3
— NIA India (@NIA_India) December 15, 2023
Months later, the NIA had also carried out multiple raids in separate locations across Jharkhand and Assam, leading to arrest of one of the chargesheeted accused on Saturday, Binod Munda from Khunti district of Jharkhand in April this year. NIA’s team during the raid had also seized incriminating materials, including walkie-talkie, mobile phones, cash and documents related to outlawed PLFI, a splinter group of the proscribed CPI (Maoist), founded by self-styled supremo Dinesh Gope.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Jharkhand police and the NIA in a joint operation had arrested hardcore Maoist and PLFI supremo, Dinesh Gope on May 20 last year. Gope was arrested following a swift operation by a joint team of NIA and Jharkhand police in Nepal, where he had been living in disguise for a long time.
Gope, a resident of Khunti was carrying a bounty of RS 30 lakh on his head and named in 102 cases including murder, extortion, arson registered under separate police stations of Jharkhand, Odisha and Bihar. His arrest by the agencies led to seizure of arms and ammunition in large quantities from several locations, disclosed by him during the course of interrogation.
