Two Women Arrested in 2019 Chhattisgarh Encounter Case

Two individuals, one of whom is a woman associated with the banned CPI (Maoist) group, were apprehended by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in relation to the 2019 attack on security forces near Tiriya village in Chhattisgarh. This attack resulted in the deaths of six Naxals and one civilian. The arrests of B Ch Padma, also known as "Modem" or "Lalita," and courier Dubasi Devender bring the total number of detained individuals in this case to four, as per the NIA's statement.

Padma, formerly a member of the CPI (Maoist)'s divisional committee, recently acted as a coordinator between front organizations and the banned outfit, promoting its ideology. Devender, closely associated with CPI (Maoist) cadres operating in the core area, worked as a courier for the group. His role involved transporting their communications (both paper-based and digital) covertly and facilitating their anti-national activities, according to the NIA.

The investigation revealed that both arrested individuals were closely linked to the top leadership of the CPI (Maoist) in their efforts to advance anti-national activities. In 2021, the NIA took over this case, along with several others related to Maoist plots for acts of terrorism and violence in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

During searches conducted at the suspects' premises, the NIA recovered incriminating materials related to the activities of CPI (Maoist) cadres. The encounter, which took place in July 2019, involved a joint operation by the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, and the Central Reserve Police Force in the forest area near Tiriya. The security forces acted on intelligence that a group of Maoist cadres had assembled with the intent to carry out a major incident on July 28, known as "Shaheed Diwas."

Following the encounter, arms, ammunition, handwritten documents, and literature associated with the CPI (Maoist) were seized from the site. The case was initially registered on July 28, 2019, under various sections of the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The NIA subsequently re-registered the case on March 18, 2021, taking over the investigation.