NIA team to begin probe today into Chhattisgarh Naxal attack

V A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) will today begin its probe into the Chhattisgarh attack on Congress leaders by Maoists which claimed 27 lives, including that of PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel.

Union Home Secretary R K Singh said an official order formally handing over the case to
NIA to carry out the investigation would be issued soon.

"We will issue the order of NIA probe. The NIA team will also go to Chhattisgarh today," he told reporters here.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had yesterday said that NIA will probe the Maoist attack on Congress leaders and the Centre has received a go-ahead from Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh for it.

Heavily-armed Maoists had on Saturday ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders in the state's Bastar district, killing 27 people including PCC chief Patel, his son Dinesh, Congress leader Mahendra Karma and ex-MLA Uday Mudliyar and injuring 32 others, including former Union Minister V C Shukla.