Timely intelligence inputs helped police avert what could have been a major tragedy in Gadchiroli district.
Timely intelligence inputs helped police avert what could have been a major tragedy in Gadchiroli district. The police found an improvised explosive device (IED) weighing 25 kilograms planted by Naxals in an area that security personnel and policemen posted in Kotami frequented to get mobile phone network to talk to their families.
According to reports, the Naxals studied the movement of security personnel for two months before planting the IED to ambush them.
Sources in Gadchiroli police said Kotami is about 15 kilometres away from the Naxal-infested Chhattisgarh. In order to put an end to the Naxal activities, the police had opened a post in Kotami only two months ago. Men from the local police, state reserve police force and C-60 commandos are working at the post.
"Mobile phone signals are not available at the post, and hence, around 70 policemen go to an area which is 500 metres away from the post to speak to their relatives. They use walkie-talkies to communicate with the department while on duty," said a police officer from Gadchiroli.
The sources added that a few days ago, on receipt of intelligence inputs that Naxals have been trying to strike on a police party, the police team began searches in the Kotami area. The IED was found underground concealed in a container. The container also had big nails, shrapnel, charcoal, petrol bottles and gelatin in it.
"The explosive was connected with a wire and this led us to the IED. We realised that the Naxals studied the route that was used by policemen to receive mobile phone signals and in anticipation that some day they would strike on the police party, an IED was planted at the spot where policemen would get signals," said the officer.
The police said had the Naxals been successful in exploding the IED, an area of 50-metre radius would have turned into ashes. "The new post at Kotami has resulted in a hit to Naxals in their own den. It seems they were hell-bent on inflicting some damage to the police," the officer added.
"There is a standard operating procedure (SOP) which clearly states that the police should change their movements so that it cannot be studied. But, in this case, there seems to be a breach of SOP as Naxals were able read where the cops would go. We are working as to how such things could be averted in future," said another police officer.
"We have diffused the explosive and have sent it to the forensic department," said Sandip Patil, superintendent of police, Gadchiroli.
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