The National Investigation Agency (NIA) logo.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Kolkata: Sleuths of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday started conducting simultaneous raids on 12 premises in West Bengal, including one in Kolkata, belonging to people allegedly linked to Maoists, an official source said.
Raids were under way in the south Kolkata's Netaji Nagar area, along with Panihati, Barrackpore and Sodepur in North 24 Parganas district, Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman district and several other places in West Bengal in connection with alleged links of two women and their associates with Maoists, he said.
"These women had allegedly siphoned off funds sent to them for spreading Maoist networks in eastern India. These raids are under way to find out the exact roles these people were playing in the Maoist organisation," the source said.
NIA sleuths were accompanied by Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police during the ongoing raids.
In Asansol, they were conducting search operations at the residence of a researcher, with whom the two women had been in touch.
"Funds were channelised to and from these people to the Maoists in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. We are trying to find out these links," he told PTI, adding that these two women were working with some NGOs helping miners get their dues.
Several documents were seized during the raids which were under way, he added.