NIA arrests three for aiding murder of Chhattishgarh BJP MLA, four policemen by Maoists

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested three persons in connection with the killing of Chhattisgarh MLA Bhima Mandavi in April, 2019, allegedly by CPI (Maoist) cadres, officials said on Wednesday. The agency arrested Laxman Jaiswal, Ramesh Kumar Kashyap and Kumari Linge Tati, all residents of Dantewada, on Tuesday for allegedly providing logistical support to the Maoists for carrying out the attack in which Mandavi and four of his security personnel were killed, the NIA spokesperson said. The arms and ammunition of the slain police personnel were also looted by the CPI (Maoist) cadres, she said. An NIA special court in Jagdalpur sent the accused to seven-day custody of the agency. The attack was probed by the Chhattisgarh Police before the NIA took over the investigation on 17 May, 2019. After taking over, the NIA arrested two suspected accused - Bhima Tati and Madka Ram Tati - on 7 April, 2020. “Investigation has revealed that arrested accused Laxman Jaiswal alias Laxman Sao, who runs a grocery shop in Nakulnar, provided electric wires, explosive substances and other items for the IED blast carried out by CPI (Maoist) cadres. Accused Ramesh Kumar Kashyap, Ramesh Hemla (ex-sarpanch of Kakadi village) and Kumari Linge Tati were instrumental in providing logistic support to the Naxalites and were part of the conspiracy which led to the killing of Mandavi and four security personnel,” the spokesperson said.