RAIPUR: In a setback to the Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh government, the high court directed it to hand over the files related to the investigation of the killing of BJP legislator Bheema Mandavi to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) within 15 days.
The Bhupesh Baghel government was apparently reluctant to pass on the investigation to the NIA. The Central government has ordered for an NIA probe into the incident on May 17.
The state had earlier asked the Centre twice to reconsider its decision citing that the case is being investigated by the Chhattisgarh and the process already reached an advice stage now.
The state government has also ordered a judicial probe into the Dantewada incident and on this pretext, the files couldn’t be delivered to the NIA, following which the latter approached the high court against the government.
The state BJP suspecting the killing of the party MLA Mandavi as a conspiracy and was demanding a CBI inquiry into it.
Barely two days before the first phase of polling in Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, the BJP MLA and four policemen were killed in a powerful IED blast triggered by the Naxals at Dantewada on April 9.