Tiriya encounter: NIA files chargesheet against 12 people

New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against 12 individuals in connection with the 2019 CPI (Maoist) attack on security forces, in which six Maoists and one civilian were killed near Tiriya village in Chhattisgarh, an official said on Saturday.

The accused have been slapped with charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Arms Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UA (P) Act) in the charge sheet which was filed on Friday.

In a statement issued by NIA on Saturday, it said that the investigation unveiled a sinister plot by a group of Maoist cadres, led by senior figures including Sanju, Lxman Nag, Dashri Kawasi, Dubasi Shankar, Jalimuri Srinu Babu, Vijayalaxmi, Ramesh Kunjami, and others, who conspired to execute this violent act.

The assailants, armed with sophisticated weaponry, targeted combined teams from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), State Police, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) that were engaged in a search operation near Tiriya Village in Jagdalpur.

"In addition to the primary suspects, further individuals linked to the case have been identified, including B. Ch. Padma, Dubasi Devender, Dongari Devendra, Duddu Prabhakar, and Kandula Sirisha. These accused were clandestinely associated with various organisations while actively supporting the CPI (Maoist)," it said.

"These accused maintained close ties with the top leadership of the CPI (Maoist) and played pivotal roles in furthering the unlawful and violent agenda of the banned organisation. They received funding from the CPI (Maoist) to facilitate their operations and used various front organisations to disseminate Maoist ideology," read the NIA statement.

The case was originally registered on June 28, 2019, encompassing various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Arms Act, and the UAPA Act.

Subsequently, on March 18, 2021, the NIA assumed control of the case.