The National Investigation Agency (NIA) have simultaneously raided seven places in West Bengal today in connection with a suspected Maoist funding case in Ranchi.

From early morning yesterday several teams from NIA Ranchi Branch in Jharkhand have fanned out in several areas of the state and started search operations in houses accompanied by the Special Task Force (STF) of state police.

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The armed STF jawans surrounded each of the houses during the search operations and did not allow anybody to enter the houses.

The NIA team searched several hideouts in Asansol, Dishergarh in Kulti of West Burdwan, Jagaddal, Sodepur, Barrackpore since 6 am today.

They conducted search operations for over several hours and seized various documents, cell phones and computer hard discs, sources said.

Sudipta Pal, who runs a human rights organization for the contract labourers of coal mines said that NIA came to her rented house in Dishergarh with a search warrant. “I have no connection with the Maoists, they claim that they have got my name in a Ranchi case connection. They have seized papers, computer hard discs and my android phone. I don’t know how I will fight for these poor labourers. There is an important case soon and all my documents were loaded in the hard disc. It will take at least six months to get them back,” she added.

NIA also raided the house of a researcher, Avigyan Sarkar in Asansol, who has taken active part in the agitation of Deucha Panchami coal mine in Birbhum district. A former alumni of Jadavpur University, he was a prominent face during the Singur agitation.

The houses of NGO couple, Shipra Chakraborty and Manabesh Chakraborty in Pallishree of Sodepur have also been raided.

Sources said that they have found links after some arrests in Chhattisgarh and the urban Naxalites allegedly used to fund them and secretly help in maintaining the ultra organisation in the country.

The NIA had lodged a specific case in Ranchi in this matter and started investigations. All these people and their hideouts were in the NIA radar since the past few months, sources said.

So far, nobody has been detained by the NIA after the search operations today. The team has returned after conducting the raids.