Top Maoist identifies men behind Darbha attack

Former propaganda chief of Maoists in their bastion of Dandakaranya, GVK Prasad alias Gudsa Usendi, has identified the conspirators and executioners of the last year’s Darbha valley attack in Chhattisgarh in which top Congress leadership of the state was wiped out by the ultras, sources told HT.

Former propaganda chief of Maoists in their bastion of Dandakaranya, GVK Prasad alias Gudsa Usendi, has identified the conspirators and executioners of the last year’s Darbha valley attack in Chhattisgarh in which top Congress leadership of the state was wiped out by the ultras, sources told HT.

HT Image

GVK Prasad surrendered in the first week of January this year citing his differences with the outlawed CPI (Maoist) over excessive violence by party cadres including the Darbha valley attack. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been asked to probe the attack.

"According to GVK Prasad, Darbha valley’s divisional commander Surendra and another top Maoist from their central regional command Jailal were leading the attack party of around 200 Naxals who ambushed the convoy of Congress leaders on May 25 last year. The target was Mahendra Karma who headed the anti-Naxal militia Salwa Judum before it was disbanded by the Supreme Court.

But the cadres forming the attack party became uncontrollable and indiscriminately fired on the convoy resulting in killing of many others who were originally not the target like Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Lal Patel, his son Dinesh and veteran party leader VC Shukla," said an official familiar with the details of Prasad’s interrogation.