Dantewada attack: CRPF zeroes in on mole theory

Raipur: Asserting that the movement of its troops in Barsar-Kuakonda axis in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district on Wednesday had been tipped off to Naxals by the latter’s mole “within or outside” the paramilitary, CRPF director general (DG) K. Durga Prasad on Thursday vowed to expose the infiltrator.

“It is certain that the information about their movement was leaked. Somewhere or at some stage this has happened. The boys were doing a surprise non-operational movement and hence were in mufti. We are looking into it (moving in an unusual vehicle wearing plain clothes), Mr Prasad said here.

He was here to pay homage to seven CRPF jawans slain in landmine blast triggered by Naxals at Melawada in Dantewada district on Wednesday.

CRPF has instituted a Court of Inquiry into the incident. The Court of Inquiry would also probe if there was any lapse by CRPF leading to the tragedy.

“The jawans were on an administrative operation not on counterinsurgency operation. There had been no attack on the route earlier. Hence, no road opening party was deployed there. But, Maoists got the wind of the troops’ movement, he said.

He indicated that the landmine was planted under the blacktopped road and the Maoists triggered the blast by igniting the landmine as soon as the vehicle carrying the jawans moved over it.

The examination of the blast site by the IED experts roped in from Pune would bring to light if the landmine was planted during laying of the pucca road or it was laid in the nick of the time, he added.

The DG reached Chhattisgarh late Wednesday night and will travel to the blast site near Melawada village in the said district where Naxals blew off a Tata-709 mini-truck being used by the CRPF men to go from one camp to the other.

DG Prasad, who rushed to the state from a tour of Maharashtra, said they are working on the leak theory due to a number of facts visible in the incident. The DG said the blast was “big” and it is suspected that about 50-60 kgs of explosive could have been planted beneath the road to trigger the explosive.