A managing director of Adhunik Power & Natural Resources Limited (APNRL), Mahesh Agarwal who runs a coal-based transmission power unit in Jharkhand was put on the list of “most wanted” by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). It was alleged that he was funding the Maoist-backed organization Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC). A charge sheet was filed against him on January 10, 2020, on the basis of which a non-bailable warrant was also issued against him.
Nitesh Rana appearing on behalf of Mahesh Agarwal said that by including his name in the list of most wanted which is usually reserved for global terrorists for their crimes against the country, NIA had damaged his reputation. He included that how can he be accused when he himself appeared as a witness in 2019. Also, the charge sheet which was made did not contain his name which was challenged by them. Still, the agency paid no heed to the challenge and included him in the list.
The High Court of Jharkhand ordered the agency to remove his name from the list and take no action against him. It asked the agency to submit an affidavit in which they stated that his name had already been removed from the list on October 21, 2020.
