Ranchi, Aug 18 (IANS) A Special NIA Court, Ranchi, on Tuesday sentenced 12 convicts to varying terms of rigorous imprisonment ranging from 10 years to 5 years in connection with extortion from coal miners and raising funds for the banned Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), an official said.
The Special Court pronounced sentences against the 12 convicts in NIA case RC-06/2018/NIA/DLI relating to extortion and collection of levy from coal transporters, contractors and business people in the Amrapali-Magadh coal mining areas of Jharkhand, the NIA said.
Of the 12 convicts sentenced on Tuesday, five were given a maximum of 10 years of Rigorous Imprisonment (RI), six were given a maximum of 8 years of Rigorous Imprisonment, and one was given a maximum of 5 years of Rigorous Imprisonment, it said.
The case relates to extortion and collection of levy in the Amrapali and Magadh coal mining areas within the limits of Tandwa Police Station, Chatra district, Jharkhand.
The NIA had filed the charge sheet and supplementary charge sheet against a total of 21 accused on December 22, 2018 and January 10, 2020.
The NIA said the initial trial against 13 chargesheeted accused was completed, with evidence recorded from 119 prosecution witnesses.
On August 12, the Special NIA Court had found 12 chargesheeted accused guilty under various sections of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, while one chargesheeted accused was acquitted.
Investigation by the NIA established that members and cadres of the banned TPC, which had armed cadres also affiliated to CPI (Maoist), in connivance with local committees, business people, transporters and officials, were part of a criminal conspiracy to collect levy in exchange for allowing the mining and transportation of coal from the coal fields.
–IANS
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