NIA raids in Tripura’s Unakoti over document forgery cases

A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted searches at the residences of two individuals in Tripura’s Unakoti district as part of its probe into a document forgery case, officials said.

According to sources, the raids were carried out at the homes of Paritosh Shil (45), a resident under the Kailashahar Police Station, and Ranu Pal (42), a resident under the Kumarghat Police Station.

Shil works as a barber, while Pal is a hawker.

Speaking to the media, Shil confirmed that NIA officials conducted a search at his residence and interrogated him for several hours.

“They (the NIA team) searched my house and checked several documents. Later, they seized my mobile phone and bank passbook. The NIA officials also asked me to appear at their Ahmedabad office on November 20,” Shil said.

He added that the officials showed him a photograph of one Rahim Ali and questioned him about the person

“I told them that I don’t know anyone by that name and have never contacted him,” he said.

Sources indicated that both Shil and Pal are suspected of involvement in fabricating fake documents, engaging in illegal financial transactions, and maintaining unauthorised contacts with individuals in Bangladesh.

However, the NIA and Tripura Police have not yet issued any official statement or officially shared details of Wednesday’s searches in northern Tripura’s Unakoti district, which shares a border with Bangladesh.

A brief statement from Tripura Police said that the NIA team conducted the searches in connection with an ongoing investigation of old cases, with local police providing logistical and manpower support.

Meanwhile, the NIA had earlier conducted searches at multiple locations in Sonamura, under Tripura’s Sepahijala district, in November last year in connection with activities of Bangladeshi operatives linked to the terror group Al-Qaeda.

At that time, simultaneous raids were also carried out across nine locations in Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, West Bengal, Bihar, Tripura, and Assam, targeting individuals suspected of supporting or funding the banned terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda.

During those operations, the NIA recovered incriminating documents, digital devices, and evidence related to terror funding activities.

According to NIA investigations, the suspects whose premises were raided were believed to be sympathisers of a Bangladesh-based Al-Qaeda network.