Following reports of Maoist leaders having amassed huge assets in property and cash, the Centre said a separate unit will be created in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for investigating “important” cases of Left Wing Extremism.
A senior Home Ministry official said the government has also set up a multi-disciplinary group to initiate action to choke funding sources of Maoists and to seize assets of their leaders.
Multi-agency group
The group comprises officers from various central agencies and the State police departments, the official said.
It is headed by an additional secretary and has representatives from the Intelligence Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, NIA and the CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) and the CBI, as also State intelligence departments and CID, the official added.
The move follows information about a large part of extortion money allegedly collected by Maoists getting diverted towards personal wealth of their leaders, the official said.
“Maoists are forcing children to join their squads, but their double standards are exposed by kind of education and other facilities they provide their children and families,” the official said.
Tracking money
According to the official, the LWE movement in the country is financed through a large network of dubious activities, which include illegal levy collected from private contractors including those involved in execution of government works and schemes, mining contractors, transporters and owners of small and medium industries.
Similarly, funds are said to be garnered through collections from illegal stone crushing and distribution of Maoist ideology papers.
Investigations have revealed that one Pradyuman Sharma, member of Bihar-Jharkhand special area committee of the CPI (Maoists) paid ₹22 lakh towards fees for admission of his niece in a private medical college last year.
Another member of the CPI (Maoist), Sandeep Yadav, gave ₹15 lakh for exchange during the demonetisation, the official claimed.
Mr. Yadav’s daughter had studied in a reputed private institute and his son is studying in a private engineering college, the official said.
Similarly, another senior leader Arvind Yadav paid ₹12 lakh towards fees for his brother to study in a private engineering college.
The Enforcement Directorate has registered cases against these four individuals under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, attached properties worth ₹1.5 crore and 32 acres land, seized ₹ 2.45 crore in cash, including ₹1 crore during demonetisation, the official said.
