National Investigation Agency may take Kanchan Da into its custody

Many States' police join grilling of veteran Maoist leader in city

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Apart from the Telengana and Chhattisgarh Police, Communist Party of India (Maoist) central committee member-cum strategist-cum ideologue Kanchan Da is facing marathon grilling by the Jharkhand and West Bengal Police along with the CRPF and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) at the Crime Branch here.

According to police sources, Kanchan had developed contacts with several militant outfits of the North-East and he had visited Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland on multiple occasions.

The sources said that the NIA is questioning the arrested Maoist leader to ascertain which militant outfits of the region he had contacted or for whom he had acted as a mediator. The NIA is also questioning him whether smuggling of arms and ammunition had taken place and, if so, its magnitude.

The sources said Kanchan da is also being questioned as to how many youths had been brainwashed into the Maoist fold during his stay in the North-East region.

The sources added that there is a possibility that the NIA may arrest him soon.

It may be recalled that the 72-year old Kanchan Da and his close associate Akash Urang alias Rahul alias Kajal were arrested by the Crime Branch of Assam Police from Patimara Tea Garden under Udarband Police Station in the Cachar district on March 6.

Kanchan Da, who originally hails from Howrah, had come to Cachar in 2019. He was in Assam to set up a complete new system of Maoism here. His other motives included setting up a Red Corridor from the neighbouring country to the Maoist areas like Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Telangana and parts of Odisha, engaging youths to join the Maoist movement, attracting surrendered ultras to the Maoist movement and finally, to arrange for weapons and terror financing. He was also writing the new constitution for the organization. He is a civil engineer and was the top ideologue of the CPI (Maoist) after top Maoist leader Prashanta Bose alias Kishan Da was arrested by the Jharkhand Police in November last year. He had joined the CPI (M) in 2004.

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