New Delhi [India], August 26 (ANI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheeted three associates of a CPI (Maoist) frontal organisation in a Chhattisgarh case related to collection, disbursal and the utilisation of Naxal terror funds.

The three accused, identified as Gajendra Madvi, Laxman Kunjam and Raghu Midyami, were office bearers of Moolwasi Bachao Manch (MBM) and had been banned by the state government u/s 3 (1) of the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 20. The accused had also been arrested for their involvement in the case.

https://x.com/NIA_India/status/1960174164234649712

The case pertains to the recovery of Rs 6 lakh from the two Over Ground workers (OGW), namely Madvi and Kunjam, who were going to deposit the amount in different bank accounts on the directions of leaders of the proscribed terrorist organisation (CPI).

The case was initially registered by the Bijapur Police in March 2023, after which NIA took over the probe in February 2024.

Investigations by NIA revealed by Midyami was the president of MBM, and was involved in activities like the collection, storage and disbursal of illegal funds for the party and affliated frontal organisation MBM.

The allocated funds were utilised by CPI (M) to further activities including staging of protests against the establishment of security camps in the hinterland.

The funds had been channelled by CPI (M) through MBM and other similar frontal outfits.

Midyami was the nodal person engaged in the distribution of the funds at the local level, as per the investigation.

Further investigation is underway.

On August 21, NIA arrested one more person in connection with the 2019 Tamil Nadu Ramalingam murder case linked with the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) terror outfit, the agency said.

The NIA teams launched the search operation at nine locations in two districts of Tamil Nadu--Dindugal and Tenkasi-- to trace absconding Proclaimed Offenders (POs) in the case, relating to the brutal killing of Ramalingam, aimed at spreading fear and communal hatred among the people.

During the searches, NIA said, it arrested Imthathullah, Proprietor of Ambur Biryani Hotels, Kodaikanal, for knowingly and voluntarily harbouring absconding POs in his hotel outlets from 2021. Incriminating documents and digital devices were also seized during the searches conducted in Dindugal and Tenkasi districts. (ANI)