Jagdalpur/New Delhi, December 30:
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against five accused, including four absconders, in a case related to the alleged supply of explosives to the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district.
According to the agency, the chargesheet was filed before the NIA Special Court in Jagdalpur on Tuesday against arrested accused Manish Sodhi alias Hurra and four fugitives — Sodhi Kesa, Manila, Madkam Kesa and Sodhi Lakhma — all residents of Sukma. The accused have been charged under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Investigations by the NIA revealed that the accused were actively involved in procuring and supplying explosives and other materials for members of the CPI (Maoist)’s PLGA Battalion No. 01 and cadres active in the Jagargunda area. These explosives were reportedly intended for use in Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) targeting security forces.
The case, originally registered by the Chhattisgarh Police, began with the arrest of two suspects — Mantosh Mandal and S. Nagarjun — on September 25, 2024. Interrogation of the duo led to the seizure of tiffin bombs, detonators, potassium nitrate, aluminium powder, Naxal literature, and mobile phones, among other materials. The police subsequently uncovered a supply chain and a financial trail linked to the Maoist outfit.
The NIA took over the investigation in December 2024 and has so far chargesheeted seven individuals in connection with the case (RC-19/2024/NIA/RPR). The agency said investigations are continuing to trace other suspects and unearth the wider network behind the explosives supply to Maoist cadres in the Bastar region.
