A view of National Investigation Agency (NIA), workplace in New Delhi. File picture
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday, April 27, 2023, filed a chargesheet against five individuals in a case associated to the seizure of an enormous cache of digital detonators and explosives in June 2022 in West Bengal, an official mentioned.
According to an official, costs against one of many accused, Manoj Kumar, who had dedicated suicide in November 2022, have been abated in the chargesheet.
The official mentioned a Special Task Force (STF) staff of West Bengal had initially registered a case on June 30, 2022, at Mohammad Bazar Police Station after the interception of a automobile.”
The team seized 81,000 electric detonators and arrested the vehicle driver Ashish Keora,” they acknowledged. After that, a sequence of searches have been performed at varied places, resulting in extra seizures.
“Besides, another 2,525 electric detonators, 27,000 kg of ammonium nitrate and 1,625 kg gelatin sticks were seized during the search operations from an illegal godown belonging to another accused, Rintu Sk aka Muntaj Ali.” the discharge reads. “Further, 410 detonators were seized from the house of accused Mukesh Singh, while 45.75 kg gelatin sticks and 1,200 electric detonators were recovered from the possession of accused Moktar Khan aka Imran,” it reads.
Investigations by the NIA, which took over the case on September 20, 2022, revealed that every one the accused, together with Asish Keora, Rintu SK aka Muntaj Ali, Mukesh Singh, Moktar Khan aka Imran and (late) Manoj Kumar aka Manoj Modi had entered a prison conspiracy to produce explosive supplies and detonators to individuals concerned in unlawful mining, the NIA launch added.
The official assertion mentioned, “While the charges for the offences committed by Manoj Kumar have been abated following his suicide, Asish Keora, Rintu Sk, Mukesh Singh and Moktar Khan have been chargesheeted under Sections 120B, 201 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act.”
Further investigations are in progress against the remaining accused and others who could also be concerned in the unlawful enterprise, it added.
