New Delhi, June 3 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has carried out searches in a two-year-old Maoist terror funding case in Jharkhand, the agency said on Wednesday. The agency conducted a search at the office of Ram Kripal Singh Construction Pvt Ltd located in Ranchi in Jharkhand on Tuesday. It recovered various incriminating documents and cash during the search, and seized several bank accounts papers. "Further investigation in the case continues," the NIA said.

The NIA took over the case on July 9, 2018. The case was originally registered at Dumri Police station in Giridih district of Jharkhand on January 22, 2018 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Criminal Law Amendment Act after the arrest of one Manoj Kumar with Rs 6 lakh in cash and incriminating documents.

It was alleged that Kumar had collected levy from contractors on the instructions of an absconding accused Krishna Da alias Krishna Hasda, a Jharkhand Regional Committee member of CPI (Maoist) organization, the NIA said.

The NIA re-registered the case against Kumar and Krishna Da. During investigation, the NIA said, it was revealed that Kumar was an employee of RKS Construction Private Limited Company and was acting as a conduit between the construction firm and the Maoists in Giridih area. "While going to make a levy payment of Rs 6 lakhs to the operatives of CPI(Maoist), Manoj was apprehended.

It is well known that the levy collected by the CPI (Maoist) is being used for the purchase of arms and ammunition, explosives, recruitment of new cadres to expand the influence of the CPI (Maoist) and carrying out disruptive activities which threaten the security, sovereignty and integrity of India.