Photo: Parwaz Khan
Naxal Strike again
Shishir Kumar
Ranchi, June 30
In a major strike on Sunday evening, Maoist killed a SDPO and four policemen at village Pundidirhi under Tamad police station. The mixed contingent of CRPF, STF and district police was on its return long range patrolling (LRP) after combing and dominating the surrounding jungles when the ultras blew off the jeep carrying SDPO in a powerful landmine blast.
The deceased have been identified as SDPO Pramod Kumar and four police personnel identified as Kanhiya Singh, Nagender Bhagat, Iniaz Toppo and Arun Singh. Kumar, Kanhiya and Toppo died on spot while Bhagat and Singh died on their way to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS).
Information gleaning out from place of occurrence and police sources says that the Maoist ultras open burst fire on police contingent as it tried to negotiate a culvert near the Pundidirhi hamlet around 4 in the evening while returning from village Mankidih. Before the OC and his men could position themselves to counter the attack, ultras, in a flash, blew off the jeep carrying DSP Pramod Kumar triggering a powerful landmine blast killing the DSP and three jawans on the spot. Two more jawans succumbed to the injuries on way to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi.
"They first fired indiscriminately our party. Due to which the Jeeps were slowed. As the jeep of the OC Tamar Ashok Kumar crossed the culvert and the jeep of the DSP stood on it they blew it up," said a jawan, adding to which he said that a fierce encounter followed the blast. "We then surrounded the area and had an encounter. Three of the extremist have also been caught," he added.
SSP Ranchi, SP Khunti, Zonal IG and DC Ranchi had reached the spot. Police teams from Khunti and Ranchi were mobilised after the incident and were combing the area. The platoon 39 (P-39) of the CPI Maoists led by Kundan Pahan is believed to have carried out the strike. Details were awaited. This is the same platoon that had looted Rs. 5 Crore from the cash ferrying van of the ICICI bank.
MS Bhatia, SSP Ranchi that the incident is a hearth rendering incident. "No doubt it is a sad moment for the police. Generally, we do not patrol in such area on vehicles. It was a mistake that took so many lives," he added.
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