NIA arrests two overground workers of CPI(Maoist) in 2023 Chhattisgarh blast case

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency Thursday arrested two overground workers of a banned Naxal organisation for allegedly providing logistical support to the perpetrators of the 2023 IED blast in Chhattisgarh in which an ITBP personnel was killed.

The arrested men -- Dhanesh Ram Dhruw and Ramswarup Markam -- were associates of CPI (Maoist) members and were actively involved in providing logistical support to the perpetrators of the IED explosion. The blast occurred on November 17, 2023, in the Badegobra village of Chhattisgarh's Gariyaband district during the Assembly polls.

A head constable of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was killed in the blast that was triggered when the polling team, accompanied by security personnel, was returning from the village after completion of the voting process, said the statement issued by the probe agency.

"In another notable success in the 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly election IED blast case, the NIA on Thursday arrested two overground workers of the banned CPI (Maoist) terrorist organisation," it said.

As per NIA investigations, the attack was planned by CPI (Maoist) Central Committee Members Ganesh Uikey and Manoj, and Special Zonal Committee Member Satyam Gawade, following the outfit's call for a boycott of the Assembly polls in the state.

"The explosion was carried out by cadres of Gobra Dalam of CPI (Maoist) with the support of overground workers from Badegobra and Chhotegobra villages," the probe agency said.

The case, initially registered at Mainpur police station, was taken over by NIA on February 22, 2024. In December last year, it charge-sheeted 10 accused in the case in which investigation is underway.