The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed charges against 17 Maoists involved in the attack on a CRPF camp in the Bijapur district. The chargesheet was presented to a special court in Jagdalpur, detailing the events of the January 16, 2024, attacks on CRPF and Cobra camps located in Dharmavaram, Chintawagu, and Pameda. One Maoist has been arrested.
The arrested Maoist, as per the chargesheet, is identified as Sodi Baman, also known as Deval. The remaining 16 accused individuals are at large, including key figures within the Maoist organization such as 2 Central Committee members, 2 state-level leaders, and leaders from various committees like the Telangana State Committee, Pameda Area Committee, and PLGA Battalion No. 01.
The charges brought against these Maoists include violations of the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The charges are related to the attacks on the new CRPF camp in Dharmavaram, Bijapur district, and the nearby CRPF/Cobra camps in Chintawagu and Pameda on January 16, 2024, where the attackers attempted to steal weapons and other supplies. Prior to these incidents, the Dharmavaram CRPF camp, which had been established on December 17, 2023, was targeted in an attack that resulted in injuries to 12 CRPF personnel.
The NIA took over the case from local police on February 9, 2024, and initiated a case against 21 named individuals along with approximately 250-300 unidentified armed cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist) organization. The investigation revealed that the accused were engaged in recruiting youths as part of a criminal conspiracy to wage war against the Indian government. They possessed illegal weapons, ammunition, and explosive materials, and they organized and participated in conspiracy meetings.
The Maoists had also set up a training camp that replicated the targeted camp, trained their armed cadres to carry out armed rebellion, delivered motivational speeches, conducted reconnaissance of the camps, and carried out the final attacks. Further investigation is underway.