Chhattisgarh: NIA files chargesheet against 12 people in Tiriya encounter case

New Delhi, [India]: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a comprehensive chargesheet against 12 accused individuals in connection with the 2019 Tiriya encounter case in Chhattisgarh that resulted in the deaths of six naxals and one civilian.

The case relates to an incident in which armed naxal cadres had launched an attack on security personnel near Tiriya village in Chhattisgarh.

The accused persons have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Investigations revealed that a group of naxal cadres led by senior Maoist leaders, including Sanju, Lxman Nag, Dashri Kawasi, Dubasi Shankar, Jalimuri Srinu Babu, Vijayalaxmi, Ramesh Kunjami, and others, conspired to commit this act.

Combined teams of the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), State Police, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) who were engaged in a search operation near Tiriya village in Chhattisgarh’s Jagdalpur district were targeted by the assailants, who used sophisticated weaponry during the attack.

“Additional suspects in the case have also been identified, including B. Ch. Padma, Dubasi Devender, Dongari Devendra, Duddu Prabhakar, and Kandula Sirisha. “These suspects were operating under the guise of various organizations, while actively working in allegiance with the CPI (Maoist) or naxals,” NIA said.

“The accused individuals with close ties to the top leadership of the Naxals were actively engaged in advancing the unlawful and violent agenda of the banned organisation.

They were instrumental in receiving funds from the CPI (Maoist) to support their operations, while also functioning through various frontal organizations to propagate Maoist ideology,” the agency said.

The case was initially registered on June 28, 2019, encompassing various sections of the IPC, the Arms Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UA (P) Act). Subsequently, on March 18, 2021, the NIA took over the case.