The New Indian Express ·
ED raids four states in Ranchi RSS office bomb attack case; Shahzad Bhatti Network under scanner
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted searches at multiple locations in four states as part of a money laundering investigation into the June petrol bomb attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office in Ranchi, officials said.
Premises in Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand and Karnataka were searched under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.
The probe is also examining the role of the Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN), a banned terrorist organisation recently designated under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The ED is the second central agency to investigate the network after the National Investigation Agency (NIA), officials said.
The NIA had registered an FIR after taking over the case from a Jharkhand Police special investigation team. The RSS had alleged that petrol bombs were hurled at its office in Ranchi's Nivaranpur area on June 17. The Jharkhand Police had subsequently arrested three people in connection with the attack.
On September 16, the Ministry of Home Affairs declared the SBN a terrorist organisation under the UAPA. A gazette notification issued by the ministry said the group was added to the First Schedule of the Act under Section 35(1)(a).
According to the notification, the Centre believes the network has been involved in acts of terrorism in India, including allegedly recruiting and radicalising youth and local criminals to smuggle arms, explosives and narcotics across the border.
The ministry also alleged that the network mobilises resources for anti-national activities in coordination with other banned and designated organisations.
(With inputs from PTI)
