Chhattisgarh CRPF camp attack case: NIA fresh chargesheet names 3 absconding Naxals among six

The three accused charge-sheeted are Awalam Bhima, Madkam Nanda and Madkam Deva alias Ratan, while the charge-sheeted absconders include one Special Zonal Committee (SZC) member. All six have been charged under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

With this supplementary chargesheet against these six accused, the total number of accused charged by the NIA has gone up to 23. The agency had earlier chargesheeted 17 Naxals in June last year.

A dozen CRPF personnel were injured in the attack on the Dharmavaram camp by Naxals armed with automatic weapons and indigenously manufactured Barrel Grenade Launchers (BGLs). Besides the then newly built Dharmavaram camp, the Naxal cadres had also attacked simultaneously two more adjacent CRPF camps at Chintawagu and Pamed in Bijapur district on January 16, 2024.

The attacks on the three camps were aimed at killing security force personnel, and looting weapons and other belongings of security forces from the camps as part of a Naxal conspiracy to wage war against the democratically elected Government of India.

The Naxal cadres were in possession of prohibited arms, ammunition and indigenously manufactured BGL shells with explosive materials, the NIA had found during its probe.

NIA investigations had further revealed that the Naxal terror outfit had set up a dummy replica of the target camps for training and motivation of its armed cadres. The men were also directed to recce the target camps before carrying out the attacks.

The NIA, which took over the case on February 9, 2024, had re-registered it against 21 accused persons and 250-300 unknown armed Naxal cadres. The agency is continuing with its investigation as part of its efforts to destroy the naxal ecosystem. (ANI)