The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two persons in connection with the killings of BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi and four police personnel in an IED blast carried out allegedly by the Maoist rebels at Dantewada last year, officials said on Wednesday.
“Bhima Tati, (27) and Madka Ram Tati, (36) both residents of Patel Para, Tikanpal village, Dantewada, were arrested on Tuesday. Both the accused were produced before the special NIA court, Jagdalpur on Wednesday, which has granted their custody for six days to the NIA for interrogation,” an official press release from the NIA said.
Notably, Mandavi, the then sitting MLA of Dantewada, was killed in an IED blast followed by indiscriminate firing on April 9, 2019 near Shyamgiri village in Kuakonda Police Station.
Four police personnel of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) were also killed in the attack.
The arms and ammunitions of the martyred security personnel were also looted by the assailants. A case under Sections 147, 148, 149, 302, 396, 307 & 120B of IPC, section 25 & 27 of Arms act, section 3 & 5 of Explosive Substances Act, section 13(1)(a), 38 & 39 of UA(P) Act, 1967 was registered with Kuakonda police station, against unknown persons. Subsequently, the NIA had reregistered the case on May 17, 2019 and began Investigation.
