National Investigation Agency (NIA), the central counter-terrorism agency, has filed a chargesheet against the eighth accused in the 2019 Purnea arms and ammunition interception and recovery case.
The NIA arrested nine accused in the case so far. In its supplementary chargesheet filed on Tuesday before a special court in Patnar, the agency has charged the accused under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Arms Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The Bihar Police had initially registered an FIR on February 7, 2019, following the interception of a consignment of highly sophisticated illegal weapons, being smuggled from across the Myanmar border.
The consignment, comprising under barrel grenade launchers and a large number of 5.56 x 45 mm ammunition, was meant for supply to the Maoists and members of organised criminal syndicates for carrying out terror attacks in various parts of the country.
The case was originally registered against accused Suraj, VR Kahorangam (Varengnow Kahorngam), Clearson Kabo, Mukesh Singh, Santosh, and other unknown persons. It was subsequently taken over and re-registered by NIA on February 28, 2019. Chargesheets were filed by the NIA earlier in August 2019, November 2019, and March 2020.
NIA investigations have revealed that Bhikhan Ganjhu is the Zonal Commander of the Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), which has been declared a terrorist gang by the Jharkhand government under Section 16 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1908. He was involved in extorting levies from coal transporters in Jharkhand by threatening them with death or grievous injury through armed cadres carrying deadly arms.
Investigations further showed that Bhikhan Ganju was procuring arms and ammunition from his co-accused to strengthen TPC’s foothold in Jharkhand and to commit acts to spread terror and violence.
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