New Delhi, Dec 21 (IANS) A National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, in Ranchi has sentenced two persons to rigorous imprisonment in a CPI (Maoist) arms and ammunition seizure case of 2012, an official said on Saturday.

The accused, identified as Prafulla Malakar of Patna district of Bihar and Anil Kumar Yadav of Gaya district of Jharkhand, have been convicted and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment (RI), with a maximum term of 15 years, along with fine for various offences.

Malakar has been sentenced to different jail terms and fines under Sections 121A, 414, 120(B) of IPC, Sections 10 (b)(ii), 20, 17, 18, 13 of the UA(P) Act, Section 25(1-AA)/35 & 26(2) of the Arms Act and section 17 of CLA Act.

The court has similarly pronounced the varying quantum of sentence against Yadav under Sections 121A, 386, 387, 120B of IPC, Sections 10 (b)(ii), 20, 18, 13 of the UA(P) Act, Section 25(1-AA)/35 of the Arms Act and Section 17 of CLA Act.

A maximum of 15 years RI has been awarded to both the accused under Section 25(1-AA)/35 of the Arms Act. All the sentences will run concurrently.

The case relates to Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh, where, based on inputs, the local police had searched and arrested Prafulla Kumar Malakar from Silodar Forest near Chauparan in August 2012. The police seized one USA-made M-16 rifle, 14 live rounds, two mobile phones, and one bulletproof jacket from Malakar, a member of the Arms and Ammunition Supply Unit of the banned terror organisation, CPI (Maoist).

Further investigation led to the arrest of Yadav, a Zonal Commander of CPI (Maoist) who had come to collect/buy weapons from Malakar. The police seized Rs 9 lakh, two mobile phones, one 9 mm pistol and two live rounds from Yadav’s possession.

The NIA, which took over the case from the local police on December 17, 2012, filed supplementary charge sheets against Malakar and Yadav, as well as absconding accused Mantu Sharma, between 2014 and 2017.

Courtesy Media Group: IANS

Words: 286