Chhapra/Patna: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) searched the residence of Parsa chief councilor Ayesha Khatoon in Saran district late on Saturday night and reportedly took her son, Karmullah Ansari, and another man for questioning.
A team from Delhi and Patna conducted the operation in the Parsa police station area on August 22. The search lasted around four hours, according to information available. The NIA has not yet issued a detailed statement on the operation or confirmed whether any arrests were made.
Documents and digital devices examined
The operation was conducted under tight security, with local residents kept away from the chief councilor’s residence.
According to reports, NIA officials examined documents, mobile phones, laptops and other digital devices during the search and questioned people present at the house. It is not yet known what, if anything, was seized.
The local police, led by Parsa SHO Om Prakash, provided security during the operation and maintained a perimeter around the residence.
Following the search, the NIA reportedly took Karmullah Ansari into custody along with Mohammad Gaffar Miyan, a resident of Chetan Parsa. Both are reportedly being questioned. The agency has not officially confirmed their arrest or the nature of the action taken against them.
Operation reportedly linked to arms case
Sources have linked the operation to an investigation into the alleged purchase, sale and smuggling of weapons.
Ansari’s name has reportedly surfaced in connection with previous arms-smuggling investigations, although the allegations have not been officially confirmed.
Sources also claim that the investigation could involve an alleged arms network in Muzaffarpur and international arms smuggling. These links remain under investigation and have not been confirmed by the NIA.
The agency has also not clarified whether Saturday night’s operation is connected to a 2024 investigation following the seizure of sophisticated weapons and AK-47 components in Dimapur, Assam. That investigation reportedly examined alleged arms supply and foreign funding links.
NIA had searched residence in 2024
The same residence was reportedly searched by the NIA in 2024. A large police contingent and Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed during that operation, when officials examined documents and electronic devices.
Sources further claim that NIA officials had summoned Ansari to its Patna office for questioning several times and that he did not appear, following which the agency conducted the search at his residence. The NIA has not confirmed this account.
There has also been local speculation about earlier investigations involving alleged visits by foreign nationals and suspicious transactions relating to weapons and foreign currency. No official link between those allegations and the latest operation has been established.
The NIA has not released detailed information about the case, the material recovered, or the legal status of the two men. Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.
