The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two more absconding accused in connection with the abduction and brutal murder of Dinesh Pusu Gawade in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district.

The wanted accused, both members of the banned CPI (Maoist) terrorist organisation, have been identified as Raghu alias Pratap alias Irpa alias Muddella alias Sailu, a resident of Nizamabad district in Telangana, and Shankar Mahaka, a native of Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra, respectively.

Gawade, a resident of Laheri village in Bhamragarh taluka of Gadchiroli, was abducted and murdered in November 2023 by CPI (Maoist) cadres on suspicion of being a police informer and having links with the RSS. He had gone to Pengunda village to participate in a sports competition, where he was kidnapped and murdered by the ultras.

According to the investigation, Gawade was killed with a sharp weapon. A note was left at the crime scene by the assailants, accusing the victim of being a police informer. The assailants' motive behind the killing was spreading terror among local villagers and intimidating them against sharing any information about Maoist activities and movements with security forces.

The NIA had taken over the probe from the Gadchiroli Police in October 2024.

Earlier, the agency had chargesheeted four accused -- Doba Wadde, Ravi Pallo, Sattu Mahaka, and Komati Mahaka -- over their involvement in the ghastly crime. The charge sheet was filed in January this year - against four CPI (Maoist) members of the CPI (Maoist) for the abduction and murder of Gawade under various provisions of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Investigation is currently underway and the probe agency has stepped up efforts to unearth the entire conspiracy behind the gruesome murder of Dinesh Pusu Gawade.