A special NIA court has framed charges against the four remaining accused in the 2019 Gadchiroli Naxalite blast case, which killed 15 police personnel and a driver, following directions issued by the Supreme Court of India.
A special NIA court on Friday framed charges against the last four accused in the case concerning the blast executed by Naxalites in Gadchiroli district, eastern Maharashtra, in May 2019, which resulted in the deaths of 15 police personnel and a civilian driver.
Earlier, in May 2024, the court framed charges against four of the eight accused.
However, the cases against Sathyanarayana Rani, also known as Kiran, Parasram Tulavi, Somsay Madavi, and Kisan Hidami were separated due to their challenge against the application of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against them.
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The Bombay High Court accepted their arguments and discharged them from the MCOCA charges. Subsequently, the National Investigation Agency, which investigated the blast, appealed this decision to the Supreme Court.
Last month, the Supreme Court set-aside the High Court’s ruling, allowing charges to be framed against them under MCOCA.
A criminal trial commences once charges are set. On May 1, 2019, Naxalites detonated an explosive, killing fifteen members of the Maharashtra police’s Quick Response Team along with the driver.
The 2019 Gadchiroli blast was a major Naxal attack in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district on 1 May 2019 (Maharashtra Day). Maoists triggered an IED blast that targeted a police vehicle, killing 15 security personnel and one civilian driver.
The attack happened just hours after Maoists torched around 36 vehicles belonging to a road construction company in the same region. It was one of the deadliest attacks by Maoists in Maharashtra in recent years and drew sharp condemnation from the state and central governments.
MCOCA stands for Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999.
It is a special law enacted by the Maharashtra government to combat organised crime and terrorism, particularly against the underworld and Naxal groups.
Key features of MCOCA:
- Provides for enhanced punishment (minimum 5 years to life imprisonment, and even death penalty in some cases).
- Allows special courts for speedy trial.
- Permits interception of communication (phone tapping, electronic surveillance) with judicial approval.
- Admits confessions made to police officers above SP rank as evidence (which is not usually allowed under normal law).
- Targets not only direct offenders but also those abetting, aiding, or financing organised crime syndicates.
It is considered a stringent anti-crime law, but has also faced criticism for alleged misuse by police against individuals where organised crime links were weak.
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