Maoist involved in ASP's death, held in Sukma
Chhattisgarh home department on June 13, had directed the State Investigation Agency (SIA) to investigate the tragic death of ASP Girepunje, who was killed in an IED blast on June 9 in Konta region of Bastar's Sukma district.
Director general of police (DGP) Arun Dev Gautam and SIA director Ankit Garg are monitoring the investigations. The accused was identified during the investigation by the SIA.
Information about other Maoists involved in the incident was also gathered. The accused, named Sodhi Ganga, has confessed his involvement and the details of his statement are awaited. After interrogation, the SIA presented him in court, from where he was sent to jail.
The SIA team is led by superintendent of police (SP) Neeraj Chandrakar, and consists of six police personnel, including SP, ASP, TI, and SI rank officers. Officials said that the SIA team departed for Sukma within the next two days of order and gathered evidence from the blast site and soon identified those responsible for planting the IED.
On June 9, ASP Akash Rao was inspecting an area related to a Naxal incident near Dondra village on the Konta-Errabore road when the IED exploded, causing him fatal injuries and injuring SDOP Chandrakar, and TI Sonal Gwala.
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The two injured officers are receiving treatment at a hospital in Raipur.
Naxals on the night of June 8 had set fire to JCB at the spot and planted an IED about two feet underground near the machine, targeting the police team that will reach the spot for investigation the following morning.
SIA, established by the Vishnu Deo Sai-led government in Chhattisgarh a year ago, is tasked with investigating Maoist activities, religious conversions, and cattle smuggling. SIA has direct reporting access to the DGP and home department.
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