Sukma: A Naxalite involved in the improvised explosive device (IED) blast that killed an additional superintendent of police (ASP) in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district last month was arrested on Tuesday, police said.
The accused, Sodhi Ganga, was apprehended by the State Investigation Agency (SIA), and it was the first arrest in the case, a police official said.
On June 9, Additional Superintendent of Police (Konta division) Akash Rao Girepunje was killed, and two officers were injured after an IED planted by Naxalites at a stone quarry exploded in the Konta area of Sukma.
He was the highest-ranked state police officer to have been killed by Maoists in Chhattisgarh since 2011.
The case was handed over to the SIA, which subsequently zeroed in on Ganga, a native of Nilmadgu village under Bhejji police station limits of Sukma district, he said.
The arrested Naxal was active as head of the Revolutionary Party Committee (RPC) of Maoists in the area, he said.
Ganga admitted to his involvement in the blast and revealed the names of other colleagues who also had a role in the incident, the official added.
Further investigation into the case was underway, he added.
While Girepunje lost his legs in the blast and later died, Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP-Konta area) Bhanupratap Chandrakar and Station House Officer of Konta police station, Inspector Sonal Gwal, had suffered injuries in the explosion.
The blast took place near Dondra village when a police team was on patrolling as part of an area domination operation launched in response to reports of a JCB machine being torched by Naxalites at a stone quarry on June 8 night and to oversee security arrangements in the backdrop of the Bharat Bandh called by the outlawed CPI (Maoist) for June 10.
