NIA raids in Unakoti, questions two Tripura residents
Unakoti (Tripura), Nov 12: National Investigation Agency (NIA) team is back again in Kailashahar under the Unakoti district of Tripura.
This time, an NIA team carried out search operations at the homes of two residents in Unakoti district as part of an ongoing investigation into a document forgery case, officials said.
Earlier, an NIA team nabbed one person from Latiapur of Kailashahar around a year ago relating to human trafficking from Bangladesh to India via Tripura.
According to sources, the NIA team conducted searches at the residences of 45-year-old Paritosh Shil of Bhagyapur village in Kailashahar and 42-year-old Ranu Pal of Kumarghat. Shil earns his livelihood as a barber, while Pal works as a hawker.
Speaking to reporters, Shil confirmed that NIA officials raided his house and questioned him for several hours.
“They searched my home, examined several papers, and later confiscated my mobile phone and bank passbook. The officials also directed me to appear before the NIA office in Ahmedabad on November 20,” he said.
Shil further stated that investigators showed him a photograph of one Rahim Ali and asked about his connection with the person. “I told them I have no acquaintance with anyone by that name and have never been in contact with him,” he added.
Sources revealed that both Shil and Pal are under scrutiny for their alleged involvement in creating forged documents, engaging in illegal monetary dealings, and maintaining unauthorised links with individuals based in Bangladesh.
Neither the NIA nor the Tripura Police has yet released an official statement regarding the searches in Unakoti district, which shares a border with Bangladesh.
However, a brief note from Tripura Police mentioned that the NIA operations were part of a continuing investigation into older cases, with local police providing necessary logistical and manpower support.
It may be recalled that in November last year, the NIA carried out a similar series of raids at several locations in Sonamura, under Tripura’s Sepahijala district, in connection with the activities of Bangladeshi operatives associated with the banned terror group Al-Qaeda.
During that nationwide operation, coordinated searches were also held in Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam, targeting individuals suspected of supporting or financing the terrorist organisation.
The agency reportedly recovered digital devices, incriminating papers, and materials linked to terror funding networks during those raids.
As per NIA findings, several of the suspects targeted in the earlier operations were believed to be sympathisers of a Bangladesh-based Al-Qaeda network.
Close on the heels of Red Fort Metro Station blast, the NIA raids in Unakoti raised concerns among the locals and the issue became a talk of the town.
