NIA Chargesheets 8th Accused In 2019 Purnea Arms And Ammunition Interception And Recovery Case

New Delhi, February 22 (TNA) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted one more person in a 2019 case relating to the interception and recovery of lethal and prohibited arms and ammunition in Purnea, Bihar. With this, a total of eight accused have been charge-sheeted by the NIA, which has so far arrested nine accused in the case (RC-05/2019/NIA/DLI). The arrested accused include Bhikhan, who hails from the Chatra district of Jharkhand.

In its supplementary chargesheet filed this week before the NIA Special Court, Patna, Bihar, the agency has charged the accused - Bhikhan Ganju and Deepak Kumar, under various sections of the IPC, Arms Act and UA (P) Act, 1967. The Bihar police had initially registered an FIR on 7th February 2019, following the interception of a consignment of highly sophisticated illegal weapons, being smuggled from across the Myanmar border.

The consignment, comprising Barrel Grenade Launchers and a large number of 5.56 x 45 mm ammunition, was meant to supply to the Maoists and members of Organized Criminal Syndicates for carrying out terror attacks in various parts of the country. The case was originally registered against accused Suraj, V.R. Kahorangam (Varengnow Kahorngam), Clearson Kabo, Mukesh Singh, Santosh and other unknown persons. It was subsequently taken over and re-registered by NIA on 28th February 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/unlawful association by the Jharkhand government under Section 16 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1908.

He was involved in extorting levies from Coal transporters/contractors 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 & violence.