Pankaj Singh
The investigation into the deadly attack on security forces in Jonguda village near the Sukma Bijapur border on 3 April 2021, in which 22 security personnel were martyred, has now been handed over to the NIA.
NIA has made Naxal supremo Nambala Keshavrao (Vasavaraj) the main accused in this case.
Apart from Vasavaraj, a case has also been registered against 18 more Naxalites including, Madavi Hidma. In another FIR, a case has also been registered against 350 to 400 unidentified Naxalites.
Who is Nambala Keshav Rao?
A native of Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, Keshava Rao is an engineering graduate from Regional Engineering College (Warangal). He is said to be an expert in manufacturing and operating Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). He is one of the most wanted Naxalite and has a bounty of ₹1 crore on his head.
Keshavrao has been the mastermind of several deadly attacks on security forces in the past. He is the mastermind behind the murders of 15 commandos in Gadchiroli on May 2, 2019 and Telugu Desam Party Araku MLA K. Sarveswara Rao in September 2018.
NIA to investigate more cases.
The NIA has also taken up the probe into the 2019 Bastar encounter, which resulted in the deaths of six Naxalites. Aside from that, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation of five additional cases in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. According to sources, the investigation of the Bijapur attack will go under the supervision of SP Shailendra Mishra of the Ranchi branch of NIA.
The Central Government handing over the investigation to the NIA in this way shows that the government is not only serious about the investigation of cases related to Maoists but the government is also committed to implement its policies towards Maoists more strictly in the coming days.
