Hyderabad: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials, who are probing the case of August 2023 illegal weapons manufacturing by Maoists cadre, have conducted multiple raids at 60 different places in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on Monday.
During the raids, the NIA officials have seized cash, Maoist party literature from the Civil Liberty Committee member and leaders residences in both states. The NIA officials also served notices asking them to appear before the October 6 for questioning at the NIA office in Hyderabad.
Around 6 am on Monday, the NIA officials were divided into teams and conducted search operations at 60 locations. In Hyderabad, the NIA officials knocked the doors of Maoist party sympathiser Bhavani's residence located at Subhashnagar of Uppal. The NIA officials questioned Bhavani and her husband Krishna about any links with the banned Maoist party leaders. As the family members denied the links, the NIA officials searched the house and seized 25 books of Maoist literature.
Bhavani's husband Krishna said that the NIA officials were conducting raids in connection with the August 2023 case of Arms Act. "We informed the NIA officials that they were not indulging in any unlawful activities. My wife is associated with martyrs relatives association activities and I am working in a private office in Hyderabad. Bhavani's brother and my brother died in police encounters a few years ago. But, we never indulged in any Maoist party activities. I have been working in private companies for the past seven years. After searches, the NIA officials served a notice asking to appear before the NIA officials, Hyderabad," Krishna said.
Similarly, the NIA officials have conducted raids on the residence of practising advocate Suresh at Vidyanagar on Monday. The NIA officials allegedly asked Suresh about his profession and regular activities. NIA officials also inquired about the banned Maoist party cadre and any nexus with the surrendered Maoists. It was revealed that the advocate denied the links with Maoist party.
In Warangal, the NIA teams visited Hunter road and conducted raids on residences of Mahila Chaitanya Mandali leader Anita and Shantamma. The NIA officials asked them about regular activities and any links with Maoist party cadres. Police seized alleged Maoist literature and asked them to appear before the NIA for questioning.
On September 9, the NIA also conducted a series of raids and searches in Telangana and Chhattisgarh in connection with an August 2023 case involving the recovery of explosive materials, drones and a Lathe machine involving the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) for use against security forces. The NIA had registered the case against 12 accused after the explosive materials, drones and a Lathe machine were seized from three of them in the month of June in Cherla mandal of Kothagudem.
It was the second time that the NIA officials conducted raids in connection with the August 2023 weapons case. Earlier, the NIA officials conducted raids in Telangana and Chhattisgarh and questioned several suspects.
The NIA said the Maoists had in recent times started employing modern tools and technology to carry out violent terrorist activities in various states.
