The Special NIA Court in Ranchi has rejected the bail petition of industrialist Mahesh Agrawal in the terror funding case. After a prolonged hearing, the court had reserved the judgment on the plea filed by Agrawal for the regular bail. But the court declined the bail and said that there were serious changes of terror funding against the accused hence the bail can’t be granted.

Agarwal is a Bengal-based businessman whom the National Investigation Agency had arrested in January this year from Salt Lake of Kolkata on charges of funding Maoists in Jharkhand.  He has served as the managing director of the Adhunik Power & Natural Resources Limited Company which has a stake in the business in Jharkhand. Earlier, Agrawal had unsuccessfully tried to get relief from the Jharkhand High Court. Agrawal is currently lodged in Birsa Munda Central Jail. The NIA accused Agrawal and two other transporters Amit Agarwal and Vineet Agarwal of funding banned left-wing outfit TPC in coal mining and transportation of the Magadha-Amrapali Coal Project of the CCL in Chatra.

The NIA is investigating one of the cases of the terror funding lodged at Tandwa police station of Garhwa district in 2018.  The NIA has already charge sheeted a CCL employee and 13 other accused. Investigation revealed that extremists of TPC used to collect levies from transporters and mining companies. TPC operatives were also involved in the transportation business. In some of the cases, a particular contractor was given the contract for transportation on the recommendation of the TPC. For instance, one Chhotu Singh was given the contract for transportation at the recommendation of TPC operative Akraman. NIA investigation revealed that the terror funding through such a sophisticated method was going on for the past many years and Agrawal and others were in active collaboration with TPC in raising and funding terrorist activities.