SLEUTHS of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday started conducting simultaneousraidson12premises in West Bengal, including one in Kolkata, belonging to people allegedly linked to Maoists,anofficialsourcesaid. Raids were underway in the south Kolkata’s Netaji Nagar area, along with Panihati, Barrackpore and Sodepur in North 24 Parganas district, Asansol in Paschim Bardhamandistrictandseveral other places in West Bengal inconnectionwithallegedlinks of two women and their associates with Maoists, he said. “These women had allegedly siphoned off funds sent to themforspreadingMaoistnetworks in eastern India.

 

These raids are underway to find out the exact roles these people were playing in the Maoist organisation,” the source said. NIA sleuths were accompaniedbySpecialTaskForce(STF) of West Bengal Police during the ongoing raids. In Asansol, they were conductingsearchoperationsatthe residence of a researcher, with whom the two women had been in touch. “Funds were channelised to and fromthese people to the Maoists in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. We are trying to find out theselinks,”hetoldPTI,adding that these two women were workingwithsomeNGOshelping miners get their dues.