Raipur: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge-sheet in last year's Maoist ambush at Tekalgudiyam in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, which claimed the lives of 22 security personnel and left more than 35 others injured, in a special court in Jagdalpur, officials said on Thursday.
The charge-sheet, in which 23 members of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) were named as accused, was filed before the NIA court in Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district, on Wednesday, a statement issued by the NIA said. The state police said that of these 23 accused, one was arrested while two died before being apprehended.
On April 3 last year, 350 to 400 armed Maoists had attacked a team of security personnel near Tekalgudiyam village under Tarrem Police Station of Bijapur district that left 22 troopers killed and more than 35 others injured, it said. Arms and ammunition of security personnel were looted, while a commando of CoBRA, Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, was abducted, it said. The abducted jawan was released later.
The case was initially registered at the Tarrem police station and was later re-registered by the NIA on June 5 this year, it added.
"Investigation revealed that the accused persons, who are members of the CPI (Maoist), conspired to commit terrorist acts and the armed cadres of the CPI (Maoist) attacked the combined security forces Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), its elite unit-Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), District Reserve Guard (DRG) and state police with heavy fire of barrel grenade launchers (BGL) and automatic weapons," it added.
The investigation also revealed that the ambush on security personnel was part of TCOC (Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign) observed by CPI (Maoist) during summer, it said. The accused persons charge-sheeted under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, officials said.
The accused named in the charge-sheet include senior Maoist leaders Mupalla Laxaman Rao alias Ganpati, Nabbala Keshav Rao alias Gaganna, Sujata and dreaded commander Hidma, it said, adding that further investigation in the case would continue. "Of these 23 accused who have been charge-sheeted, one Maoist cadre was arrested and two died before being apprehended. Twenty remaining cadres were named as absconding accused," Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI.
