NIA files charge sheet against 7 Maoists in J'khand cops killing case

National Investigation Agency has filed a supplementary charge sheet against seven members of the banned CPI-Maoist in connection with its probe into the 2019 killing of five policemen in Jharkhand's Saraikela Kharsawan district.

New Delhi:The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday said that it has filed a supplementary charge sheet against seven members of the banned CPI-Maoist in connection with its probe into the 2019 killing of five policemen in Jharkhand's Saraikela Kharsawan district. An NIA spokesperson said that the agency has filed the third supplementary charge sheet in the NIA Special Court in Ranchi against seven accused persons from Jharkhand and West Bengal, naming Soma Sardar, Atul Mahto aka Prakash Mahto, Ram Prasad Mardi, Prabhat Munda aka Mukhiya, Gulshan Singh Munda aka Gadi Munda, Ravi aka Sagar Singh Sardar aka Biren Singh and Doctor aka Pradeep Mondal under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The official said that Soma Sardar had played an important role in hatching the conspiracy that led to the attack, besides being involved in providing logistical support and raising funds for the CPI-Maoist. The other six charge sheeted accused are underground commanders of the banned terrorist organisation and had conspired the execution of the attack on the police personnel, the official said.

The case pertains to an attack on the police party by the cadres of CPI-Maoist on June 14, 2019 at Kukru Haat in Seraikela Kherswan district in which five police personnel were killed and their arms and ammunition were looted. A case was registered by the Jharkhand Police on June 15, 2019, and it had arrested a total of 11 accused and filed two charge sheets against all of them.

The NIA had taken over the probe on December 9, 2020, and filed a charge sheet on April 15, 2021 against 18 accused persons including senior commanders of the CPI-Maoist.

IANS