NIA Raids in Chhattisgarh Target Maoist Supporters Involved in 2023 Road Blockade and Police Ambush

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday said it searched multiple locations in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh pertaining to CPI (Maoist) cadres and their supporters responsible for last year's road blockade with an intent to kill police personnel and loot their arms.

A total of 35 accused are named in the case, relating to the March 20, 2023 incident in which cadres and supporters of the banned outfit had blocked the Narayanpur-Orchha Main Road near India Gate Raynar by digging various stretches, cutting trees, and placing small and big rocks at several places, the NIA said in a statement.

The blockade was intended to kill police parties and loot their arms, it said.

During NIA’s investigations in the case, the names of some CPI (Maoist) supporters/overground workers had surfaced.

"Suspected to be members of Maad Bachao Manch, a frontal organisation of CPI (Maoist), they were believed to have assisted CPI (Maoist) in orchestrating the crime," the NIA said.

One Lakhma Ram alias Lakhma Korram, who was the leader of Maad Bachao Manch at the Nadipara protest site, Orchha, is a charge-sheeted Maoist in the case, the agency said.

Investigations have revealed that Maad Bachao Manch organises protests against encounters and helps set up new camps for the proscribed organisation, besides providing them with logistics support, the NIA said.

Members of Maad Bachao Manch also organise various meetings for propagation of the CPI (Maoist) ideology. They also work to deliver essential materials, etc., to the Maoist cadres, the probe agency said.

The searches on Tuesday targeted four suspected members of the frontal organisation, and NIA teams searched their premises in the Maoist-infested sensitive areas of Kasturmeta, Madali and Malkal village in Narayanpur district, which falls under Maad Division of CPI (Maoist), it added.

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