In a significant development, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has lodged a supplementary charge-sheet against five individuals, including four fugitives, associated with the banned CPI (Maoist) group. The accused, hailing from Sukma district in Chhattisgarh, are accused of procuring explosives for potential attacks on security forces. Manish Sodhi, one of the arrested individuals, was apprehended by the NIA in July 2025.
The charge-sheet, presented before the NIA Special Court in Jagdalpur, implicates the accused under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. This action brings the total number of persons charged in the case to seven. Investigations by the NIA unveiled the active involvement of the accused in obtaining explosives and related materials for the CPI (Maoist), specifically for the outfit’s People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No. 1 in the Jagargunda area.
The seized materials were intended for the production of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to target security personnel involved in anti-Naxal operations in the Bastar region. The case, initially pursued by the Chhattisgarh state police following the arrest of Mantosh Mandal and S. Nagarjun in September 2024, led to the discovery of significant explosive items and a terror funding trail linked to Maoist activities. The NIA took over the investigation in December 2024, focusing on dismantling the network and arresting the absconding accused to disrupt Maoist operations.
