Naxals have enhanced info network in Bastar ahead of polls

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Naxals have strengthened their information system in the sensitive Bastar region and deployed informers at strategic locations like police stations, a senior Intelligence Bureau official said.

"The recent deadly attacks on security personnel in Sukma and Dantewada districts of south Chhattisgarh were a result of this strategy," a senior state IB official told PTI here today.

"As per the local informers, small action teams of rebels are conducting recee of police stations and security forces camps in sensitive areas to know their movement pattern and kind of weapons they possess during ROP (road opening party) or area domination exercise when they leave their fold," the official added.

Besides this, these informers also feed their 'military wing' of outlawed CPI (Maoists) information about the movement of reinforcement in case of any eventuality, he said.
On March 11, 15 security personnel, including 11 CRPF men, and a civilian were killed in Sukma's forest area bordering Bastar district around 5-6 kms away from Tongpal police station limits.

"Naxal informers placed at Tongpal played a vital role in executing this ambush as the party had left from Tongapl police station limits," he said.

Similarly, in the February 28 attack, in which five police personnel, including a sub-inspector rank officer Vivek Shukla, were killed in Dantewada's Kuwakonda police station limits, Naxals were very much aware of their movement on motocycles and weapons, he said.

According to the official, Naxals have reportedly enhanced the amount of cadres in their informers' wing, apparently after their failure to execute deadly attempts during the recently-concluded state Assembly elections.

Prima facie information was received that the cadres disguised as school students may also be placed near police station for gathering information, he said.

"Although we are aware of this (Left Wing extremism) threat, new revelations have made us recheck our security measures at our doorstep (police stations)," he added.
Bastar's solitary seat is going to polls in the first phase in the state on April 10, while other naxal-affected parliamentary constituencies-- Kanker and Rajnandgaon-- will have polling on April 17.

Notably, taking a serious concern of the Maoist threat, the Centre had sent additional 400 companies (40,000 personnel) of paramilitary forces to ensure peaceful polling during assembly polls. This time again, thousands of additional security personnel are likely to be deployed in the region where already around 60,000 security personnel were deployed for law and order purpose.

According to police sources, so far additional 80 companies of paramilitaries have been deployed in Bastar region for ensuring peaceful polling, he said. PTI TKP NP SRS