NIA chargesheets 3 Naxals for involvement in extortion, forced recruitment in Jharkhand

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted three Naxals for allegedly being involved in extortion and forced recruitment of people in their proscribed outfit in Jharkhand, officials said on Saturday. In a supplementary charge sheet filed on Friday before a special court in Ranchi, Jharkhand, the NIA charged Krishna Hansda alias Saurav Da alias Avinash Da, Abhijit Korah alias Matla Korah alias Sunil Korah, and Ramdayal Mahto alias Nilesh Da alias Bachchan Da for having a part in the 2023 CPI(Maoist) terrorist conspiracy case, they said. Hansda was the regional committee member of CPI (Maoist), a banned outfit, Korah one of its armed cadres, and Mahto its special area committee member, they said. Korah hails from Bihar, while the other two were Jharkhand native, the probe agency said in a statement. "All three were found to be active members of the proscribed terrorist organisation and a part of its larger conspiracy involving extortion, armed intimidation, and forced recruitment in the general area of Parasnath, district Giridih, Jharkhand," it said.

Their roles unravelled with the arrest of Krishna Hansda in January 2023 from Lucio forest area of the Dumri Police Station under Giridih district. "The local police had recovered levy money, one 7.65 mm bore pistol, and several incriminating documents from his possession," the NIA said. After the seizure, police then registered an FIR against Hansda, Korah, Mahto and several unknown persons, and also filed a charge sheet against Hansda, it said. NIA took over the case and re-registered it in June 2023.