Attack on Congress convoy: NIA arrests key lady naxalite

New Delhi, Nov 30: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested one Sumitra Punem, a naxalite involved in the attack on a convoy of Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh.

The NIA says that she was a team member of the Darbha Division Committee of the CPI (Maoist) formation in Chhattisgarh which carried out the attack.

The case relates to the attack on the convoy of Congress leaders and workers on May 25, 2013 at the Darbha Valley in Chhattisgarh. After investigation, the NIA had filed its chargesheet in 2014 and a supplementary chargesheet in 2019 against 39 persons. Of the 39 charge-sheeted, 10 were arrested while two were killed in encounters with security forces. 26 others are absconding.

Sumitra was one of the 27 absconding accused. The NIA says that efforts are on to trace the others and a reward has been announced for any information relating to them.