Day after nabbing 2 cadres, NIA detains another suspected Maoist from Assam’s Cachar

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) detained one more suspected Maoist from Assam’s Cachar district on Monday. The probe agency had arrested one Maoist leader from Dibrugarh district and detained two others in Karimganj district on Sunday. The search and interrogation continued on Monday as well.

NIA raided several houses in Cachar district’s Udharbond and Lakhipur areas on Sunday. 25-year-old Manoj Orang’s house was also raided. According to the police, Manoj Orang was temporarily detained by NIA on Monday.

NIA suspected that Manoj is associated with several activities of Maoist leader Arun Bhattacharjee (Kanchan Da) and his team member Akash Orang. NIA arrested Kanchan Da and Akash from Patimara Tea Garden in Cachar district’s Udharbond constituency on March 6 based on a case registered in Guwahati.

Following an order from NIA officials, Cachar police on Monday summoned Manoj Orang to Udharbond police station to be part of an interrogation. He was questioned for hours and some important information was collected from him. He was later released on condition that he will support the NIA in further investigation, a person aware of the development revealed.

Speaking to HT, Manoj said that Akash Orang and an aged person attended his wedding a few months back. But he didn’t know anything about Maoist activities.

“I know Akash as a local resident. He stayed one night in my house and an aged man was with him. I don’t know anything more,” Manoj said.

About the NIA’s interrogation, he said, “The officials said they are from NIA and they searched my house yesterday. Today I was called to the police station and I answered all their questions. They allowed me to go home but they seized my mobile phone,” Manoj added.

On Sunday, NIA arrested Maoist leader Reema Orang (alias Saraswati) from Dibrugarh. Saraswati is a resident of Mahatal village under Joypur police station of Cachar district. She was absconding since March 6.

NIA informed that suspected individuals were arrested because of their involvement in spreading the network of CPI (Maoist) in Assam and North-Eastern region of the country.

NIA conducted search operations in 17 locations across Assam including Cachar, Karimganj, Dibrugarh and Dhubri. It was conducted in connection with the arrest of senior Maoist leader Arun Kumar Bhattacharjee (alias Kanchan da) along with his associate Akash Orang (alias Kajal).

In Karimganj, NIA detained two suspected Maoists on Sunday morning. According to the police, they were temporarily detained and released after a few hours of interrogation. The detained individuals were identified as Raju Urang and Pinky Urang. They are residents of Sonakhira area (near India-Bangladesh international border) of Patharkandi in Karimganj district.

“During searches conducted today, digital devices and incriminating documents of CPI Maoist party have been recovered and seized,” NIA wrote on twitter on Sunday.