NIA files 2nd supplementary charge sheet against 3 in Bihar's Bhokta murder case

New Delhi, June 13 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Tuesday that a second supplementary charge sheet has been filed against three accused in the case relating to the abduction and brutal murder of Naresh Singh Bhokta by the CPI(Maoist), a banned organisation.

The charge sheet was filed before a special NIA court in Patna under various sections of the IPC and UA(P) Act against Vinay Yadav alias Kamal, Naval Bhuiyan, and Jilebiya Yadav.

This development comes days after the NIA conducted widespread searches in Jharkhand and Bihar in connection with the case.

A total of nine persons have been arrested so far in this case. The case was initially registered by Bihar Police on November 3, 2018, and later on, the NIA took over the investigation on June 24, 2022.

Earlier on February 25, the NIA filed the first supplementary charge sheet against one accused.

"The NIA's investigations in the case have revealed the involvement of top CPI (Maoist) commanders in the conspiracy leading to the brutal murder of Naresh Singh Bhokta, committed with the aim of terrorising the people. Weapons and vehicles used in the murder of Naresh Singh Bhokta were recovered," said the official.

All three individuals charged were found to be members of the proscribed CPI (Maoist) organisation and were arrested on December 15, 2022. They had attended a meeting of Zonal Commanders and top leaders of CPI(Maoist), convened by accused Pramod Mishra in the forest of Anjanwa. It was at this meeting that the decision to eliminate suspected police informers, including Bhokta, was taken.

"The trio, along with other co-accused persons, were involved in the abduction of Naresh Singh Bhokta and the conduct of the Jan Adalat (so-called public meeting) where it was decided to eliminate Bhokta, which eventually led to his unfortunate murder," said the official.