The National Investigation Agency intensified its crackdown on Maoist networks in Chhattisgarh&rsquo;s Bastar region, conducting coordinated raids at 12 locations across Dantewada and Sukma on Friday. The operation is part of the ongoing investigation into the 2023 Aranpur IED blast and ambush that left 10 policemen and a civilian dead.
Search teams moved into multiple villages at dawn, targeting premises of suspects believed to have direct links with the Darbha Division Committee of the banned CPI (Maoist). According to officials, the group was responsible for the April 26, 2023 attack near Pedka village, where a powerful IED ripped through a convoy returning from an anti-Maoist operation.
The NIA said the searches yielded &ldquo;several incriminating materials,&rdquo; including cash, handwritten Maoist correspondence, levy receipt books and digital devices. &ldquo;These suspects and accused persons were found linked with the CPI (Maoist) cadres involved in carrying out the deadly massacre,&rdquo; the agency noted.
The devastating blast, which destroyed an unprotected rented minivan carrying security personnel just 700 metres from Aranpur police station, had sparked questions about gaps in protocol and security preparedness. Investigators have since filed two charge sheets against 27 arrested individuals, though officials say further leads are still being pursued.
The NIA has reiterated that the investigation remains active, with additional arrests and seizures likely as the probe advances deeper into Maoist operational networks in southern Chhattisgarh.

NIA Raids 12 Sites in Bastar IED Blast Probe

Searches uncover cash, documents, and digital evidence tied to CPI (Maoist) operatives

NIA Raids 12 Sites in Bastar IED Blast Probe

Searches uncover cash, documents, and digital evidence tied to CPI (Maoist) operatives

November 8, 2025 | 18:32 IST