Jharkhand: NIA arrests two in illegal explosives storage, transport case
Koderma, July 23
The National Investigation Agency on Thursday arrested two persons following the seizure of 1,662 illegally hoarded non-electric detonators and other allegedly incriminating materials during searches at four locations in Jharkhand's Koderma district.
The searches were conducted in connection with a 2024 motorcycle blast in the Saltora area, leading to the arrest of accused Mahesh Mehta and Shankar Yadav.
According to the NIA, the duo was allegedly involved in a criminal conspiracy related to the unlawful storage of explosives and their transportation to a co-accused, endangering life and property.
The agency seized five digital devices and Rs 16 lakh in cash during the searches.
Three other accused had earlier been arrested and chargesheeted in the case registered by the NIA in October 2024.
The case originated from an explosion that resulted in the death of one accused, identified as Joydeb Mondal alias Bablu Mondal, during the illegal transportation of explosives.
During the investigation, the NIA uncovered a criminal conspiracy involving the storage and transportation of explosives allegedly procured illegally without a valid licence.
The agency also found a clandestine network involved in the storage and transportation process, along with dangerous and improper handling of explosives.
The NIA said its investigation is continuing to identify the source and intended destination of the explosives.
Earlier in the day, the NIA arrested another key Popular Front of India (PFI) absconder in Kerala's Sreenivasan murder case soon after he arrived at Delhi's IGI Airport from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
Muhammadali KP, the PFI Palakkad district president, was taken into custody soon after he arrived at the IGI Airport from Riyadh, where he had been hiding for the past four years. The NIA had declared a reward of Rs 3 lakh for information leading to his arrest, and an Interpol Red Notice was also issued against him.
With this arrest, the NIA said, the total number of accused arrested in the case now stands at 67.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, this is scary. A motorcycle blast from 2024 leading to all this? And the fact that one accused died transporting explosives illegally shows how reckless these networks are. The NIA needs to speed up their investigation before more innocent lives are lost in Koderma or anywhere else. The Rs 16 lakh cash seizure also raises questions about funding sources.
NIA is doing good work but arrests alone won't solve the issue. Koderma has a history of illegal mining and explosives smuggling. The local police should also be held accountable - how did these detonators get stored without anyone noticing? And the PFI angle in Kerala shows this is a pan-India problem. Need stricter licensing and monitoring of explosive materials.
Great work by the NIA! Finally some action against these criminals who were endangering everyone's lives. The fact that they also arrested that PFI guy from Riyadh shows our agencies are getting smarter internationally. But I wish the article had more details about where these explosives were supposed to go - that's the real concern for public safety. Keep it up! 🇮🇳
While I appreciate the arrests, I'm skeptical about the timing - just a few days before some political rallies in Jharkhand? Hmm. Also, 1,662 detonators is a huge number but the NIA says investigation is continuing - hope they actually trace the full network instead of just booking small fish. The PFI part seems unrelated to the Jharkhand case but shows how busy NIA is.
N Neha E