Raipur, June 14 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed a chargesheet against 17 individuals in connection with the January 16, 2024 attacks on Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camps in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district.

Among those named, 16 are absconding, while one accused, identified as Sodi Baman alias Deval, is currently in custody.

The chargesheet, submitted before the NIA Special Court in Jagdalpur, invokes multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the ace investigation agency said in a statement.

The accused include two Central Committee Members, two Special Zonal or State Committee Members, and senior cadres of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 01, Telangana State Committee, and Pamed Area Committee.

The case pertains to coordinated attacks carried out on January 16, 2024 on three CRPF installations: The newly-established Dharmavaram camp and adjacent camps at Chintawagu and Pamed.

The attackers, reportedly 250 to 300 armed cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist), used automatic weapons and barrel grenade launchers in an attempt to loot arms and supplies.

Twelve CRPF personnel were injured in the assault on the Dharmavaram camp, which had been operational for less than a month.

The NIA took over the investigation from local police on February 9, 2024. According to the agency, the accused were part of a larger conspiracy to wage war against the Indian state.

They were allegedly involved in recruiting youth, conducting reconnaissance of the target camps, and establishing a dummy training facility to simulate the attack.

The investigation also found that the accused delivered motivational speeches and provided combat training to cadres in preparation for the assault.

The NIA’s findings underscore the continued threat posed by CPI (Maoist) operatives in the region and highlight the group’s efforts to destabilise security infrastructure through coordinated militant actions.

Further proceedings in the case are expected to continue in the Jagdalpur court.

–IANS

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