NIA invokes UAPA against father-son Maoist duo in Chhattisgarh BJP leader murder case

Raipur: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a supplementary chargesheet against two Maoist operatives in the 2023 murder case of BJP leader Ratan Dubey, in which it has invoked charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The supplementary chargesheet was filed before the special NIA court at Jagdalpur in the state on Thursday, an official here said on Friday. Shivanand Nag and his father Narayan Prasad Nag have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the UAPA in the second supplementary chargesheet, a statement by the agency said. Sources said the duo has been arrested, but did not provide details about the arrest. The duo was found to have been actively involved in the criminal conspiracy related to Dubey's brutal killing. As per the NIA investigation, the Nags were active operatives of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) and had a past political, business and personal rivalry with Dubey, it said.

Dubey (then BJP's Narayanpur district unit vice president in Bastar region) was hacked to death with hand axes during an election campaign in a crowded weekly market at Koushalnar village in Jharaghati area of Narayanpur in November 2023, it said. The targeted killing was aimed at disrupting the election and terrorising the local people, it added. The NIA, during investigation, established the role and involvement of the members of the Bayanar Area Committee and Barsoor Area Committee of the East Bastar Division of Maoists, as well as their over ground workers (OGWs), it said. With this, the agency, which took over the probe in February 2024, has so far filed one main chargesheet and two supplementary chargesheets in the case. The agency had earlier chargesheeted one accused, Dhan Singh Korram, in June last year, while two other accused, Sainuram Korram and Laluram Korram, were subsequently arrested and chargesheeted in December 2024, the release said, adding that further investigation is underway.