The National Investigation Agency has filed a charge sheet against 12 people for their alleged involvement in a case related to a 2019 encounter in Chhattisgarh that had left six CPI (Maoist) cadre and a civilian dead, a spokesperson said on Saturday.

The accused have been charged under the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the NIA official said.

According to the spokesperson, investigations have revealed that a group of Maoist cadre led by senior leaders, including Sanju, Lxman Nag, Dashri Kawasi, Dubasi Shankar, Jalimuri Srinu Babu, Vijayalaxmi, Ramesh Kunjami, conspired to attack security forces.

Combined teams of the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, the state police, and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) who were engaged in a search operation near Tiriya village of Jagdalpur were targeted by the assailants, who used sophisticated weapons during the attack, the spokesperson said.

The official suspects in the case have also been identified and they include B C Padma, Dubasi Devender, Dongari Devendra, Duddu Prabhakar, and Kandula Sirisha, the official said.

"The accused individuals, with close ties to the top leadership of the CPI (Maoist), 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 spokesperson said.

The official said the case was initially registered on June 28, 2019, encompassing various sections of the IPC, the Arms Act, and the UAPA. The NIA took over the case on March 18, 2021.

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