UPA government told cops to fire non-lethal weapons at Naxals behind human shields

New Delhi: Glaring gaps have come to light in the Sukma attack by Maoists, in which 14 CRPF personnel lost their lives.

Despite the Centre making it clear that state police forces will lead anti-Naxal operations, the low-key presence of the Chhattisgarh police in the Chintagufa operation is raising eyebrows.

On Wednesday, the Centre set up a high-level panel headed by MHA Naxalism adviser K. Vijay Kumar to determine if there were any lapses, intelligence failures, and to review the standard operating procedures (SOPs) drafted under the UPA.

These SOPs required Central forces to use non-lethal arms like rubber bullets to counter the Maoist tactic of using villagers as “human shields” during encounters, a move that has remained unimplementable in Naxal hotbeds.

Strong fine-tuning of the anti-Naxal strategy is needed to avoid such casualties in future, a top government official said.

The committee was asked to submit its report and suggestions in two weeks. It will comprise officials of the home ministry, Intelligence Bureau, CRPF and state governments.

As the CRPF men who were attacked were engaged in anti-Naxal operations for over two weeks, the committee will also study the fatigue factor, and whether it had got any “credible intelligence inputs” before it launched the massive operation. It will also examine if the SOPs were inadeqaute or unimplementable.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh, who briefed both Houses of Parliament on Wednesday about the attack, following his visit to Raipur on Tuesday, has told all Maoist-infested states to create specialised forces and take charge of the battle in their own hands, with the help of Central forces.