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Agartala, Nov 12 (IANS) A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday searched the residences of two persons in Tripura’s Unakoti district as part of the investigation into a document forgery case. The officers provided this information.
According to sources, the houses of Paritosh Sheel (45), resident of Kailashahar police station area and Ranu Pal (42), resident of Kumarghat police station area, were raided.
Sheel works as a barber, while Pal is a hawker. Speaking to the media, Sheel confirmed that NIA officials searched his residence and interrogated him for several hours.
“They (NIA team) searched my house and examined several documents. Later, they confiscated my mobile phone and bank passbook. The NIA officials also asked me to be present at their Ahmedabad office on November 20,” Sheel said.
He said the officers showed him a photograph of a man named Rahim Ali and questioned him about that person.
“I told them I didn’t know anyone by that name and I had never contacted them,” he said.
Sources indicated that both Sheel and Pal are suspected of being involved in preparing fake documents, engaging in illegal financial transactions and maintaining unauthorized contacts with persons in Bangladesh.
However, the NIA and Tripura Police are yet to issue any official statement or officially share details of Wednesday’s searches in North Tripura’s Unakoti district, which shares the border with Bangladesh.
A brief statement from the Tripura Police said the NIA team conducted the searches in connection with the ongoing investigation of old cases, with the local police providing logistical and manpower support.
Meanwhile, the NIA had earlier conducted searches at several locations in Sonamura under Tripura’s Sipahijala district in November last year in connection with the activities of Bangladeshi operatives linked to terrorist group Al-Qaeda.
At the time, simultaneous raids were conducted at nine locations in Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, West Bengal, Bihar, Tripura and Assam, targeting individuals suspected of supporting or funding banned terrorist organization al-Qaeda.
During those operations, NIA recovered incriminating documents, digital devices and evidence related to terror funding activities.
According to the NIA investigation, the suspects whose premises were raided are believed to be supporters of the Bangladesh-based al-Qaeda network.
–IANS
SC/And