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Indian Express
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
NIA chargesheets 17 in 2024 Maoist attack on Chhattisgarh CRPF camp
Recruiting youth to 'wage a war against the state', organising 'dummy training camps' and 'conspiracy meetings', and keeping 'prohibited arms and ammunition and explosive materials' – these are the allegations against 17 people charged with the 2024 Maoist attack on three Central Reserve Police Force campus in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur. In its chargesheet, filed before a special court in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Friday named 17 people for the attack, of whom 16 are absconding. The single accused in custody is Sodi Baman @ Deval. The case relates to the attack on the Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) new camp at Dharmavaram and two adjacent CRPF/CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) camps located along the northern bank of the Chintavagu River and Pamed, the southernmost village of Bijapur, on January 16, 2024. Traditionally part of south Bastar, this was for a decade considered the stronghold of Battalion No. 01 of the People's Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of Communist Party of India (Maoist). The absconding accused include two Central Committee Members (CCM), two Special Zonal/ State Committee Members (SZC/SCM) and other top cadres of Battalion 1, Telangana State Committee and Pamed Area Committee. These accused also recruited youngsters to wage war against India, the NIA said. The chargesheet filed Friday before an NIA special court in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, was under various sections of Indian Penal Code, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, an official statement from the NIA said. Armed with barrel grenade launchers (BGLs) and automatic weapons, the assailants — a group of 250-300 members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) — attempted to loot weapons and other belongings of the security forces from the camps, the NIA, which took over investigation into the case in February 2024, said, adding that 12 security personnel were injured in the attack. The NIA registered a case against 21 named and 250-300 unknown armed cadres of proscribed terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist). Investigations revealed that 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, the statement went on to say. 'They were in possession of prohibited arms, ammunition and explosive materials, and had organised and attended conspiracy meetings. They also established a dummy training camp as a replica of the target camps, imparted training and gave 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 statement said. Asked about the significance of the CRPF camps, Inspector General for Bastar Range Sundarraj P told The Indian Express: 'The remarkable achievement of the camps was (that it was) facilitating the successful implementation of Chintavagu river bridge project, which had long remained a distant dream for local population. The civil transportation has begun in the area connecting Pamed to the district headquarters of Bijapur. Over time, more than 90 security personnel have attained martyrdom in the Pamed Basaguda-Awapalli-Usor axis due to various ambushes/IED blast incidents'.
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Time of India
We won't stop until Bastar gets rid of Naxalism: Senior cop
A day after a police officer was killed in an IED blast in Chhattsigarh's Sukma district, IG, Bastar Range Sundarraj P on Tuesday visited the incident site and said the police were fully prepared to take on Naxalites. The police will not stop until the Naxal menace is eradicated from Bastar, he added. Another Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Naxalites at the incident site was also recovered on Tuesday, he said. Security forces have launched an operation in the area to trace Naxalites involved in Monday's incident. Additional Superintendent of Police (Konta division) Akash Rao Girepunje was killed and two other police officers were injured when an IED planted by Naxalites exploded at a stone quarry in Konta police station area. Live Events After visiting the blast site on Tuesday morning, Sundarraj reached Konta police station and interacted with police personnel. He paid tribute to the deceased officer and said his sacrifice will not go in vain. During an interaction with jawans, the IG said they are prepared on every front and will strongly take on Naxalites. He urged all security personnel across the Bastar Range to stay strong, determined and resilient. "We will not stop until Bastar is completely free from the grip of Naxalism. The sacrifice of Akash Rao and other martyrs will not go in vain. Their legacy will continue to inspire our mission for peace, prosperity and progress," he added. After the incident on Monday, a Bomb Detection and Disposal Team searched the entire site and recovered another pressure IED planted there and defused it, he said. The team also recovered the pressure IED components used in the incident and debris. An FIR has been lodged in connection with the incident at Konta Police Station and further investigation has been initiated, the official said. Security personnel have launched a search in the nearby areas to trace the Maoist cadres responsible for the incident. Stringent action will be taken against the perpetrators of this cowardly act, he said. Girepunje (42), who hailed from Raipur district, was recruited as deputy superintendent of police in 2013. He had been serving as ASP, Konta since March last year.
Hindustan Times
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
We won't stop until Bastar is rid of Naxalism: Senior cop
Sukma, A day after a police officer was killed in an IED blast in Chhattsigarh's Sukma district, IG, Bastar Range Sundarraj P on Tuesday visited the incident site and said the police were fully prepared to take on Naxalites. The police will not stop until the Naxal menace is eradicated from Bastar, he added. Another Improvised Explosive Device planted by Naxalites at the incident site was also recovered on Tuesday, he said. Security forces have launched an operation in the area to trace Naxalites involved in Monday's incident. Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Rao Girepunje was killed and two other police officers were injured when an IED planted by Naxalites exploded at a stone quarry in Konta police station area. After visiting the blast site on Tuesday morning, Sundarraj reached Konta police station and interacted with police personnel. He paid tribute to the deceased officer and said his sacrifice will not go in vain. During an interaction with jawans, the IG said they are prepared on every front and will strongly take on Naxalites. He urged all security personnel across the Bastar Range to stay strong, determined and resilient. "We will not stop until Bastar is completely free from the grip of Naxalism. The sacrifice of Akash Rao and other martyrs will not go in vain. Their legacy will continue to inspire our mission for peace, prosperity and progress," he added. After the incident on Monday, a Bomb Detection and Disposal Team searched the entire site and recovered another pressure IED planted there and defused it, he said. The team also recovered the pressure IED components used in the incident and debris. An FIR has been lodged in connection with the incident at Konta Police Station and further investigation has been initiated, the official said. Security personnel have launched a search in the nearby areas to trace the Maoist cadres responsible for the incident. Stringent action will be taken against the perpetrators of this cowardly act, he said. Girepunje , who hailed from Raipur district, was recruited as deputy superintendent of police in 2013. He had been serving as ASP, Konta since March last year.
Indian Express
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Senior leader from Maoist's Telangana committee killed in Indravati National Park encounter
A day after security forces recovered the body of a senior Maoist leader after an encounter in Indravati National Park in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, the body of yet another leader from the banned outfit's Telangana state committee has now been found. The body was recovered from the encounter that broke out in Indravati National Park in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district Thursday morning, officials have said. This is the third encounter this year in the national park and brings the total gunned down in them to 45. 'The deceased Maoist is identified as 45-year-old Bhaskar @ Mailarapu Adellu. He is a Special Zonal Committee (SZC) Member of the Telangana State Committee,' Bastar range Inspector General of Police Sundarraj P said. A resident of Urumadla village in Telangana's Adilabad district, Bhaskar was the secretary of the Mancherial-Komarambheem (MKB) division of the Telangana State Committee of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit. He had a bounty of Rs 45 lakh — Rs 25 lakh in Chhattisgarh and 20 lakh in Telangana. 'An AK-47 rifle along with other explosives, weapons, and ammunition have been recovered from the encounter site,' Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Yadav said. This is the second significant death in this encounter after central committee member Thentu Laxmi Narasimha Chalam alias Sudhakar, 66, was killed Thursday. Hours after the killing, a group of Maoists stopped a transport vehicle and set it on fire in retaliation. This comes nearly a fortnight after Nambala Keshava Rao, alias Basava Raju, the general secretary of the CPI (Maoist), was gunned down in an encounter along with 27 others in the jungles of Abujhmad region in Narayanpur district on May 21. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a deadline of March 2026 to eradicate Left Wing Extremism (LWE) from India. The security forces this year till date have 202 Maoists, of which 185 were in Bastar region alone — Bijapur is a part of Bastar region. This year has also seen the death of 17 security personnel in attacks by Maoists.
Hindustan Times
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Bastar inches closer to gaining ‘Maoist-free' tag
In a notification dated March 2025, the Union home ministry has reclassified Bastar district in the Bastar division of Chattissgarh as a 'district of legacy and trust' from its previous classification as a district affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE). The notification, which HT has seen, came into effect on April 1. The Bastar division comprises seven district including Bastar, Kanker, Konadagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma, Bijapur and Dantewada. Hindustan Times reported in December that the home ministry could consider removing Baster and Konadagaon from the list of districts affected by LWE. Konadagaon has also been re-categorised as a district of legacy and trust. 'This re-categorization, part of a broader LWE review by the Centre, places Bastar district among 28 districts across India where Maoist activity has significantly declined but where continued vigilance and sustained developmental and operational focus are still required. However, this marks a critical step toward declaring Bastar entirely free of Maoist influence,' a senior officer of Chhattisgarh police said. Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range), Sundarraj P, emphasized the strategic progress made in the region. 'The recent re-categorization underlines a significant shift in the LWE landscape of the Bastar Range, particularly with Bastar and Kondagaon now identified as 'districts of legacy'. This means that Maoist activities have come down to a great extent. Our focus will now be on consolidating peace through consistent anti-Naxal operations, development projects, and community engagement.' Sundarraj also explained the home ministry's new framework which 'classifies 18 LWE-affected districts nationwide into three equal categories: Most Affected, Other Affected, and Districts of Concern, with six districts in each.' Within the Bastar Range, Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur, and Kanker continue to be listed among the Most Affected LWE districts, while Dantewada is placed in the Other Affected category. The recent encounter in which 29 Maoists were killed happened at Kanker. 'Bastar and Kondagaon's shift to the legacy category reflects not just a decrease in violence but also an increasing presence of civil governance and infrastructure development,' Sundarraj added.
