Raipur: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court in Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur on Monday ruled a landmark judgement sentencing four accused to life imprisonment in the Tehakwada ambush case involving an attack on security forces including personnel from the CRPF and the state police by the CPI (Maoist) cadres.

At least 11 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 4 cops from the Chhattisgarh police and one civilian were killed after a group of around 100 Naxalites carried out an attack in March 2014, in the Sukma district.

Naxals had killed 15 security personnel in an attack in March 2014

The accused have been identified as Mahadev Naag, Kawasi Joga, Dayaram Baghel and Maniram Madiya, hailing from Bastar and Sukma districts of Chhattisgarh. All were members of an 'unlawful association' working under the supervision and directions of senior leaders of the proscribed terrorist organisation, CPI (Maoist), as per the NIA investigations.

According to the information, 11 CRPF personnel, 4 state police personnel and one civilian were killed in the attack, carried out by 100 armed Naxals in the area of Tongpal Police Station in Sukma district. The Naxals had ambushed a Road Opening Party (ROP) of the state police and the CRPF personnel in March 2014.

The NIA investigations had revealed that the accused had also mobilised the ‘Jan militias’, local villagers and ‘Sangam’ members for the attack. They had led the ambush, exploded the IEDs, and fired upon the security personnel, in association with other members of the banned outfit.

The assailants had robbed the weapons of the security personnel after killing them during the attack.

The case was initially registered at the Tongpal police station under relevant sections of IPC and was later taken over by the NIA on March 28, 2014 for further investigation. The NIA had chargesheeted 11 accused in the case on August 18, 2015.