10-yr RI for 10 for supplying explosive material to Naxals

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA)courtin Bastar district of Chhattisgarh has sentenced eight Maoist sympathisers and two lower-rung cadre of a Maoist outfit to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for supplying material used for making guns and explosives to Naxals.

Special Judge D N Bhagat yesterday awarded the 10-year jail term to Arun Agrawal, Balram Naik, Deep Singh, Khudiram, Rajuram Bhaskar, Mohak Garg, Tarik Umar alias Pappu Pathan, Ramesh Telam, Panchu Bhaskar and Joga Telam, Additional Government Pleader (AGP) Seema Golchha told PTI.

All of them were arrested fromdifferentplaces in the state, mostly from Dantewada district,in July, 2015and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, the Explosive Substances Act and IPC section 120B (criminal conspiracy) among other sections, she added.
 

"After yesterday's hearing, the 10 accused were convicted by the NIA court, based at the district headquarters in Jagdalpur," the AGP said.

According to the police, the accused were involved in supplying detonators, explosives, gelatin sticks, besides lathe and welding machines (used in making barrels of guns) to Commander Sanjay alias Mohan Kadti, a prominent Maoist leader of the Western Bastar Division Committee in Dantewada district.

On July 24, 2015, Naxal Rajuram Bhaskar and two others -- Khudiram (owner of a pick-up van) and his helper Deep Singh -- were arrested from a forest area under the Bhansi police station in Dantewada, when they were about to deliver a consignment of lathe and welding machines to the ultras, a senior police officer said.

The then Kirandul sub-divisional officer of police, M Z Baig, was heading the probe into the case.

The consignment was arranged by Raipur-based scrap businessman Arun Agrawal, who was found to be looking after the urban supply chain of the Maoists, the officer said.

While Agrawal and his accountant, Balram, were arrested the next day (July 25) from the Raipur airport, the other accused, including Naxal Joga Telam, were held from different places subsequently.

Of them, Umar, who was running a co-operative society at Gamawada village on the Dantewda-Bacheli road, was one of the key mediators in the supply chain, the officer added.