NIA identifies two Naxal leaders behind attack on Congress convoy

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency has identified two Maoist leaders who allegedly masterminded last year's Naxal attack on Congress party convoy in Chhattisgarh's 'Darbha valley'.

The duo--Surendra, who leads Darbha divisional committee of CPI (Maoist), and Jailal, head of its second regional command division--have been identified as the accused who led the brutal attack in which the entire state Congress leadership was wiped out, official sources said.

The duo were identified on the basis of interrogation of key Naxal leader G V K Prasad alias Gudsa Usendi by NIA.

45-year-old Prasad and his wife Santoshi Markam had surrendered on January 7 before the Andhra Pradesh Police. The NIA had later taken Prasad's custody.

Prasad is understood to have told NIA interrogators that both Surendra and Jailal planned the attack with the help of other Naxal cadres. A hunt has been launched to trace and arrest these two Naxal leaders, they said.

Prasad was the 'spokesperson' of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) and Markam alias Jaini was 'divisional committee' member of DKSZC press unit.

At least 27 people including Mahendra Karma, founder of anti-Naxal movement ' Salwa Judum', and Nand Kumar Patel, chief of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee, were killed in the attack on May 25, 2013 in Darbha valley under Sukma district.

Veteran Congress leader Vidya Charan Shukla, who was also injured in the attack, later succumbed to his injuries in a Gurgaon hospital. NIA is probing the attack.