KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over a probe into the attack at the Kerala Forest Development Corporation office (KFDC) by the CPI (Maoist) group in Wayanad last year. The NIA has recently submitted the re-registered FIR of the case at the NIA court in Kochi.

It was on September 28, 2023, when a six-member group holding guns had barged into the office of KFDC and threatened manager Badursha Noushad. The accused persons said that they reached the office to discuss issues faced by the employees.

Later, they ransacked his office and damaged the surrounding equipments using an iron rod. After that they stuck Maoist posters up on the office walls. Before leaving the office, the accused persons demanded Badursha to take pictures of the posters and send them to six phone numbers.

On October 7, the Ministry of Home Affairs ordered the NIA to take over the investigation. The direction was given to NIA considering the scheduled offences committed and the gravity of the case. NIA was directed to unearth a larger conspiracy behind the incident.

The offences charged against the accused persons are under IPC Sections 143, 144, 147, 148, 149, 342, 353, 448, 121; Arms Act, section 7; Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, section 3 (1); and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), section 16, 20, and 38.