File photo: A car, part of the convoy carrying Congress leaders, which was attacked on May 25
The Odisha Police have arrested two suspected Maoists who they claim were part of the deadly attack on a Congress convoy in Chhattisgarh last month. The two were arrested from Malkangiri late on June 24 and the police say they have confessed to their roles.
According to the police, the two were part of 30 Maoists from Odisha who took part in the attack. These 30 Maoists provided logistical support like reconnaissance, carrying loads and cooking to the other group which carried out the attack, the police said.
The National Investigation Team (NIA), which is investigating the case, has reached Odisha to question the two arrested men.
On May 25, the Naxals ambushed a convoy of Chhattisgarh Congress leaders who were coming back from a rally in Bastar district. Twenty five people, including top party leaders and founder of anti-Naxal movement Salwa Judum Mahendra Karma, were killed in the attack.
Senior Congress leader Vidya Charan Shukla was badly injured and was rushed to a hospital in Gurgaon for treatment. He succumbed to his injuries 17 days later.
The massacre had pushed the issue of how to deal with Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) at the top of the agenda at a meeting on internal security called earlier this month by the Prime Minister and attended by the heads of different state governments.
The Centre and states were, however, unable to find common ground in the meeting.