Chhattisgarh: NIA arrests two for supporting Maoists in assassination of BJP MLA in Bastar

RAIPUR: National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested three persons in connection with assassination of Chhattisgarh BJP leader Bhima Mandavi in April last year, for supporting Maoists execute the ambush and supplying them explosives and other raw material to plant IED on the location. BJP MLA Mandavi was killed in restive Dantewada district when he was campaigning for Lok Sabha polls and his vehicle was blown off in IED blast that also killed his four security personnel near Shyamgiri village in Kuakonda.

According to a statement issued by NIA on Wednesday, three arrested persons were arrested and were identified as Laxman Jaiswal, 46, Ramesh Kumar Kashyap , 35, and Kumari Linge Tati, 25, for allegedly providing logistical support to the Maoists for carrying out the attack in which Mandavi and four of his security personnel were killed. They were all arrested from different locations of Dantewada district on July 28 by NIA.

Investigation suggests that Maoist cadres also looted arms and ammunition from the deceased personnel after they triggered IED blast and indiscriminate firing.

Earlier, two other accused Bhima Tati and Madka Ram Tati were arrested in April this year in connection with the case.

"The investigation revealed that arrested accused Laxman Jaiswal, who runs a grocery shop in Nakulnar, provided electric wires, explosive substances and other items for the IED blast carried out by CPI (Maoist) cadres. Another accused Ramesh Kumar Kashyap is the former sarpanch of Kakadi Village and Kumari Linge Tati were both instrumental in providing logistic support to the naxalites and were part of the conspiracy which led to the killing of Bhima Mandavi and four security personnel of Chhattisgarh Armed Force,” the NIA statement said.

The accused were produced before the NIA Special Court on Wednesday at Jagdalpur and were taken on police remand for seven days. Further investigation in the case is continued.

NIA is probing the case since it registered an FIR on May 17, 2019 while the agency was handed over the case documents/properties by Chhattisgarh Police on March 17, 2020 only.