NIA reaches Maoist attack site; probe begins

A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has reached the site of the deadly Naxal attack inA Chhattisgarh to probe into possible lapses on the part of the central forces or the state government. Meanwhile, minister of state for home RPN Singh said that action will be taken if anyone is found guilty "We have asked the NIA to investigate the Maoist attack. Security lapses could have taken place. Any lapse on the part of central forces or the state government, buck will have to be stopped somewhere. We have to take action," he said. On being questioned if the mastermind of Saturday's attack on Congress workers has been identified, Singh said it was too early to say that reach a conclusion before the probe is completed. The Centre has already deployed 30 battalion (approximately 30,000 personnel) in Chhattisgarh to help the state government carry out anti-Naxal operations. Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde had on Sunday said that NIA will probe the Maoist attack on Congress leaders and the Centre has received a go-ahead from Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh for it. Heavily-armed Maoists had on Saturday ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders in the state's Bastar district, killing 27 people including PCC chief Patel, his son Dinesh, Congress leader Mahendra Karma and ex-MLA Uday Mudliyar and injuring 32 others, including former Union minister V C Shukla. Chhattisgarh is one of the worst Maoist violence-affected states and nearly 1900 lives have been lost in last eight years of which around 570 were civilians, 700 security personnel and the rest were Naxal cadres.