Naxal target was SP of Sukma, not jawans'

Bhopal: A day after Naxals blew up a mine protected vehicle (MPV) in Kistaram forest under Chhattisgarh’s south Bastar district of Sukma, intelligence reports on Wednesday revealed that local superintendent of police Abhishek Meena was the actual target of the rebels. The Maoists blew up the anti-landmine vehicle presuming the officer was travelling in it.

The IED blast on Tuesday killed nine CRPF personnel and injured three other troopers.

“The Sukma SP might be the target of Maoists in the Tuesday’s incident. He along with Sukma additional SP Suman Saurav had passed in the route just 15 minutes before the incident,” Bastar inspector-general of police Vivekanand Sinha confirmed to this newspaper on Wednesday.

“Mr Meena was returning in the route after supervising progress of works in the under-construction bridge at nearby Pottakpalli along with Sukma additional SP Suman Saurav and some CRPF officers,” intelligence sources revealed.

Intelligence sources said Naxals had presumed that Mr Meena was in the MPV and hence targeted it.

Mandavi Hidma, commander of battalion No. 1 of People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army, was said to be the brain behind the planning and execution of the Naxal ambush.

“A component of the battalion, Kistaram area committee, was present at the attack site and may have carried out the IED blast,” the Bastar IG said.

“This is the core area of the battalion. The Maoists were perturbed over construction of roads in the area and feared that the road connectivity will help security forces intrude into their zone”, the IG said.

The under-construction four km long Kistaram-Palodi road has made the Maoist rank nervous, intelligence sources said.

“The Naxals were rattled with the establishment of CRPF camp at Palodi in December last year. The camp has led to restriction of interstate movement of Maoists,” a senior police officer posted in Bastar said.