NIA chargesheets 17 accused, including 16 absconders, in Chhattisgarh CRPF camps attack case

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted 17 accused, including 16 absconders, in a 2024 case of attacks on CRPF camps in Chhattisgarh by CPI (Maoist) terror operatives, officials said on Saturday (June 14, 2025).

One of the chargesheeted accused is under arrest, who has been identified as Sodi Baman alias Deval, they said.

The absconders include two each of central committee members and special zonal/State committee members, and other top cadres of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1, Telangana state committee, and Pamed area committee of CPI (Maoist), the officials said.

The PGLA is the armed wing of CPI (Maoist).

The chargesheet filed on Friday before an NIA special court in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, has charged all the accused under various sections of Indian Penal Code, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, an official statement said.

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 at Chintawagu and Pamed in Bijapur district on January 16, 2024, it said.

Armed with automatic weapons and barrel grenade launchers (BGLs), the attackers attempted to loot weapons and other belongings of the security forces from the camps, the statement said.

"Twelve CRPF personnel at the Dharmavaram CRPF camp, which was set up on December 17, 2023, were injured in the attack,” it said.

The NIA took over the case from the local police on February 9, 2024, and registered it against 21 named and 250-300 unknown armed cadres of proscribed terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist), the statement said.

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 probe agency said.

They were in possession of prohibited arms, ammunition and explosive materials, and had organised and attended conspiracy meetings, it said.

They also established a dummy training camp as 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.

Published - June 14, 2025 12:53 pm IST