Last rites of slain Chhattisgarh PCC chief performed at Raigarh

Thousands of mourners and supporters, including Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, attended the last rites of slain Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh Patel that was performed here today.

The Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee chief and his son were killed in the brutal attack by the ultras on Saturday, near Sukma when they were returning from the Congress Party's Parivartan Rally.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and senior Congress leader Motilal Vora were also present here along with a host of other local leaders to pay their last respects to the slain Congressmen.

Meanwhile, a team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) will today begin its probe into the Chhattisgarh Maoist attack on Congress leaders, which claimed 28 lives.

Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh told mediapersons in New Delhi that an official order formally handing over the case to NIA to carry out the investigation would be issued soon. He also said that the NIA team would leave for Chhattisgarh today.

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had earlier said the 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. Shinde had also briefed Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh about the decision to hand over the investigation to NIA.

Heavily-armed Maoists had on Saturday ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders in the state's Bastar district, killing 28 people including PCC chief Patel, his son Dinesh, Congress leader Mahendra Karma and ex-MLA Uday Mudliyar and injuring 32 others.

Former Union Minister V.C. Shukla injured in the attack is being treated at a Medanta hospital in Gurgaon. His condition is stated to be critical, but stable.