Chhattisgarh CRPF Camps Attack Case: NIA Files Chargesheet Against 17 Maoists, Including Central Committee Members

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a comprehensive chargesheet against 17 individuals in connection with the deadly Maoist attack on three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camps in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, earlier last year.

The accused have been charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Of the 17 accused, only one identified as Sodi Baman alias Deval, is in custody.

The NIA said that the other absconding accused include senior functionaries—two Central Committee Members and two Special Zonal or State Committee Members as well as key operatives from Battalion 1, Telangana State Committee and the Pamed Area Committee.

The attack, carried out on 16 January 2024, targeted the CRPF’s camp at Dharmavaram and two nearby CoBRA campus, located along the northern banks of the Chintavagu River and the village of Pamed in Bijapur district.

Twelve CRPF personnel at Dharmavaram camp were injured in the attack.

NIA took over the case from the local police in February 2024.

The anti-terror probe agency registered a case against 21 named and 250-300 unknown armed cadres of proscribed terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist).

According to the NIA investigation, the chargesheeted accused had been involved in the recruitment of youth, as part of a criminal conspiracy to wage war against the democratically elected Government of India.

"They were in possession of prohibited arms, ammunition and explosive materials, and had organised and attended conspiracy meetings. They had also established training dummy camp as replica of the target camp, imparted training and given motivational speeches to their armed cadres to carry out an armed rebellion, besides conducting recce of the said camps and executing the final attacks," the NIA said in a statement.

Also Read: India Distances Itself From SCO’s Israel Criticism, Reaffirms Support For Diplomacy Amid Crisis In West Asia