Bastar attack: Did CRPF's smugness cost lives?

RAIPUR: Had the CRPF personnel acted upon "suspicious movement" of two villagers before the ambulance carrying them was blown up by Naxals in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, the incident could have been averted, according to preliminary investigation. Five personnel belonging to the 80th battalion of CRPF were killed when the ultras blew up the ambulance carrying them at Kamanar village under Darbha police station yesterday.

"The preliminary investigation of the incident revealed that two villagers were spotted keeping an eye on the Road Opening Party (ROP) of the 80th battalion of CRPF during its operation in the restive Drabha stretch," a senior state Intelligence Bureau official told PTI today on condition of anonymity. He said the CRPF men too had noticed those villagers but overlooked them and continued with their operation on Darbha-Jagdalpur road.

The incident occurred when around ten CRPF personnel were travelling in 108 Sanjeevani ambulance. "Apparently, both the suspects must have passed the information to their comrades positioned near Kamanar village where the landmine blast was triggered," the officer said. The incident took place just a few minutes after the paramilitary personnel had boarded the bus and hardly covered a half-kilometre distance, which suggests that somebody was following them and passed on the input through mobile phone, he said.

"If the security forces had taken the custody of those suspects, the incident could have been averted," the officer said. Generally, if security personnel spot such suspects during their operation in a conflict zone, they take them into custody to avoid any trouble and later release them after completion of their task, he said.

Naxals struck twice yesterday in Bijapur and Bastar districts. In Bijapur attack, the ultras ambushed a polling team by blasting their bus. Seven members of the team were killed in the attack. Ten persons, including five paramilitary personnel, were also injured in the two incidents.