NIA SPECIAL COURT SENTENCES 4 FOR LIFE IN CHHATTISGARH CPI (MAOIST) ATTACK CASE
New Delhi, 12th February 2024: In a landmark judgement, the NIA Special Court, Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh), on Monday sentenced four accused to life imprisonment in the Tehakwada ambush case involving an attack on security forces by CPI (Maoist) cadres.
The accused have been identified as Mahadev Naag, Kawasi Joga, Dayaram Baghel and Maniram Madiya, hailing from Bastar and Sukma districts of Chhattisgarh. All were members of an ‘unlawful association’ working under the supervision and directions of senior leaders of the proscribed terrorist organisation – CPI (Maoist), as per NIA investigations.
Eleven CRPF personnel, four State police personnel and one civilian were killed in the attack, carried out by 100 armed Naxals in the area of Tongpal Police Station, Sukma district. The Naxals had ambushed a Road Opening Party (ROP) of the State police and CRPF personnel in March 2014.
NIA investigations had revealed that the accused had also mobilised the Jan militias, local villagers and Sangam members for the attack. They had led the ambush, exploded the IEDs, and fired upon the security personnel, in association with other members of the banned outfit. The assailants had killed the security personnel and looted their weapons.
The case was initially registered at the Tongpal police station under relevant sections of
IPC, Arms Act, Explosives Substances Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
The NIA had taken over the investigations after re-registering the case on 28th March 2014 and had chargesheeted 11 accused on 18th August 2015.
