NIA team
– Photo: Amar Ujala
Expansion
In search of the masked gang associated with Naxal in Ballia, the team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) Lucknow raided the possible hideouts of Maniyar, Rasra, Pakri and Khejuri police station areas of the district and interrogated the suspects. Also issued notice. According to the information, the team was present in the district for two days since Friday.
Naxalite network is spread in many districts of Purvanchal including Varanasi, Prayagraj, Deoria, Chandauli, Azamgarh and Ballia. UP ATS had arrested five Naxalites Tara Devi, Lallu Ram, Satya Prakash, Rammurat and Vinod Sahni who were holding a secret meeting with weapons in Ballia on 16 August 2023. During investigation, all of them were found to be hard core Naxalites.
ATS investigation had revealed that Pramod Mishra alias Budhau alias Ban Bihari alias Doctor Saheb of the Central Committee of CPI (Maoist) Naxalite organization had formed an ad-hoc committee in Purvanchal. Through the organization’s secretary, Ballia resident Santosh Verma alias Mantosh, women and men were continuously being recruited in many districts of Purvanchal. A conspiracy was being hatched to convert the anti-government movement into an armed movement. NIA took over the said case and started investigation at its own level.
Top officials of the police department are reluctant to tell anything in this regard. At the same time, the villagers of the villages where the team reached said that four-five people had come, they have inquired and given notice and called them to Gomti Nagar police station in Lucknow.