NIA charge sheet against 33 Maoists in Chhattisgarh MLA's murder case

New Delhi :The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday said it has filed a charge sheet against 33 people in connection with the murder of BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi in Chhattisgarh last year.

An NIA spokesperson here said that the agency filed the charge sheet on Thursday in an NIA court in Jagdalpur against 33 people, out of which six have been arrested.

Five accused in the case have already died, while 22 are still absconding.

The NIA arrested Madka Ram Tati, Bhima Ram Tati, Linge Tati, Laxman Jaiswal, Ramesh Kumar Kashyap and Haripal Singh Chauhan, all residents of Dantewada.

The case relates to an IED blast followed by indiscriminate firing on April 9 last year near Shyamgiri Village in Kuakonda Police Station of Dantewada in which Bhima Mandavi, the then sitting MLA of Dantewada, was killed by operatives of CPI (Maoist), along with four police personnel of Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF).

The Maoists also looted the arms and ammunition of the security personnel killed in the attack.

NIA took over the case in March this year.

The spokesperson said with no clues available initially, break-through was achieved in the case after examining several witnesses, surrendered Maoist cadres and rigorous technical analysis.

"During the course of investigation, the NIA arrested six accused persons Madka, Bhima, Linge, Laxman, Ramesh and Haripal, who had provided shelter, food, logistic support, electric wires and steel containers to the Maoists.

"Investigation established that the decision to kill the then MLA of Dantewada was taken at Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) level meeting held in December 2018 in West Bastar," the official said.

Later, another meeting at Darbha Division Committee level, was held in the end of February, 2019, in the Gonderas Forest area of south Bastar, which was chaired by Giri Reddy a DKSZC member and in-charge of Darbha Division.

"During the meeting, as part of Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC), it was decided to kill Bhima Mandavi, along with other political leaders, police personnel and disrupt the election process. Bada Deva, Secretary of Darbha Division Committee, was made overall in-charge to carry out the objectives of TCOC," the official said.

Under the leadership of Maoist Bada Deva, cadres of CPI (Maoist) were mobilized and an IED on the Nakulnar-Bacheli road was placed near Shyamgiri village, where the annual fair was being organized.

The place was pre-decided because the Maoist leaders believed that prominent political leaders, including Bhima Mandavi would attend the annual fair scheduled on April 9.

NIA investigation also established that the top leadership of the CPI (Maoist), namely Nambala Keshava Rao, General Secretary of the banned organisation and secretary of the central committee was actively involved in the conspiracy along with Kattam Sudarshan secretary of the central regional bureau, Mallojulla Venugopal Polit Bureau and central committee (CC) member, Thippari Tirupati central committee member and secretary, CMC, Roulla Srinivas CC member and secretary, DKSZC, Hidma DKSZC member and commander, batallion Ganesh Uike DKSZC member and secretary, South Regional Committee.