The three-member National Investigation Agency (NIA) team which is interrogating the two arrested Maoists who are allegedly involved in the Chhattisgarh Maoist ambush, have sought extension of remand of the ultras by five more days.
Heavily armed Maoists had ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders on May 25 at Jiram Valley in Darbha region of Chhattisgarh when it was returning from Sukma to Jagdalpur.
The two hardcore Maoists- Kasa Madhi and Ora Madhi of Kattamateru area in Malkangiri- were arrested on June 25 by District Voluntary Force (DVF) during a combing operation
here. Both of them had revealed before police that they were a part of 35 Maoists from Odisha who along with their over 200 counterparts from other states carried out the attack. An action plan had also been chalked out by the red organisation for the same, they had told police.
The NIA team which has been interrogating them since Friday, sources said, have received some vital clues from the two Maoists which will help them in getting into the details of the attack in which 28 Congress leaders were killed.
The NIA team comprises one SP, Additional SP and Deputy SP rank officers.
Sources said the NIA team members were quizzing the two for four hours in a day and the local cops helped them in translating the queries from Hindi to Koya language. Besides Kasa and Ora, NIA team has already interrogated Matapaka Sarpanch Barma Madhi, Kattamatteru village head Iswar Chandra Sodi and ward member Kasa Sodi in connection with the May 25 attack.
“The NIA team with the help of the local police has approached the SDJM Court seeking extension of remand of the Maoists by another five days,” said SP Akhileswar Singh. Remand duration of the duo came to an end on Monday.
In the Maoist attack, while 28 Congress workers including Chhattisgarh PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel and senior leader Mahendra Karma were killed, 37 others including former union minister VC Shukla had been injured. Shukla succumbed to injuries later. NIA was entrusted with the investigation after the Center received a positive signal from the Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh.
