Chargesheet against 6 more Maoists in 2021 Chandigarh case

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted six more CPI (Maoist) cadres in a case relating to the 2021 Naxal attack in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, that left 22 security personnel dead.

The second supplementary chargesheet, filed on Tuesday in the NIA special court at Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, named Manoj Podiyami alias Masa, Mula Devender Reddy alias Masa Dada, Vijja Hemla, Kesha Sodi alias Malla, Mallesh alias Mallesh Kunjam and Sonu alias Dodi Sonu. They have been charged under various sections of UAPA, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act and the IPC.

Earlier, 40 accused were chargesheeted in the same case — including 23 named in the original chargesheet filed in December 2022, followed by 17 in the supplementary chargesheet filed in July 2023. The NIA had registered the case on June 5, 2021.The deadly attack on security personnel was carried out by CPI (Maoist) cadres on the directions of top leaders of the proscribed organisation, the NIA said on Wednesday.