Patna IG to join NIA, only 2nd officer from Bihar to reach there

Senior Bihar IPS officer Vinay Kumar is set to join the NIA, becoming only the second officer from the state to do so, recognized for his anti-terrorism work.

Senior Bihar IPS officer Vinay Kumar is now set to join the National Investigation Agency (NIA), only the second officer from the state to be selected for the apex probe agency. The state government has notified that he would be relieved to join the national duty.

HT sourced photo

Kumar is currently IG (Operations). Before him, another IG-rank officer Vikash Vaibhav (2003 batch), then an SP-rank officer, also got an opportunity to work with NIA.

Vinay Kumar is a 2004 batch IPS officer, who was involved in major anti-terrorist operations, including the prize catch of Yasin Bhatkal alias Muhammad Ahmed Zarrar Siddibappa, co-founder of Indian Mujahideen.

In 2013, one of the terror masterminds Yasin Bhatkal of Indian Mujahideen and his aide Asadullah alias Daniel alias ‘Haddi’ were apprehended from Indo-Nepal border in Raxaul, around 350 kms from Patna. Later, a terror hideout was also discovered from close to the border. Vinay Kumar was East Champaran SP then.

He was also instrumental in busting the module of banned Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which carried out IED explosions in Bodh Gaya in 2018 when Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama was camping there for the month-long Kalachakra puja. He was DIG (Magadh range). He again worked to unravel the JMB’s nationwide network with intelligence agencies

As DIG, he was also involved in busting the Maoist network in the region, which was once the hotbed of extremist activities, and fake currency notes racket. Some of the prize catches included politburo member Jagdish Yadav alias Master, hardcore Maoists like Vijay Arya, central committee member of CPI Maoist, Mithilesh Mehta, Birendra Yadav and Sunil Hembram, all of whom carried awards.

“He has been involved in a number of successful anti-terrorist and anti-Maoist operations as well as organised crime. He deserved to work with the NIA,” said a senior police officer.