New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested a man in Delhi for allegedly supplying a drone to the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit to support its violent and anti-national activities. The agency also recovered digital evidence and other incriminating materials from his residence.
According to officials, the arrested individual has been identified as Vishal Singh, a native of Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, currently residing in west Delhi. The NIA said Singh is an active member of the banned CPI (Maoist) and has been instrumental in aiding the group’s operations.
Drone Delivered to Maoist Leaders in Bihar
In a statement, the NIA revealed that Singh had delivered a drone to Maoist leaders in the Chhakarbanda/Panchrukhiya forest region of Bihar. This drone was allegedly meant to enhance the outfit’s operational capabilities and assist in violent activities.
The agency also stated:
“He had imparted technical training to other cadres of the CPI (Maoist) and participated in central committee meetings held deep in Bihar’s forests in 2019.”
Part of Larger Conspiracy to Expand Maoist Influence in Northern India
Singh’s arrest follows the earlier detention of Ajay Singhal alias Aman in August 2024. Singhal was the in-charge of the State Organising Committee for Haryana and Punjab of the CPI (Maoist). The broader case involves a Maoist conspiracy to revive its influence in the Northern Regional Bureau area, which includes Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
The NIA said the group’s strategy involves recruitment drives, training sessions, and the use of underground cadres in urban areas, operating alongside overground sympathisers posing as social activists.
“Several front organisations and student wings were used to lay the groundwork for this anti-national conspiracy, aimed at waging war against the Government of India,” the agency added.
The NIA also pointed to funding trails leading from the CPI (Maoist)’s Eastern Regional Bureau in Jharkhand, which allegedly financed operations in the northern region.