Maoist leader Jagdish (33) and his team had planned the IED blast that killed 10 policemen and a driver in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district on Wednesday, senior police and intelligence officers aware of the investigation details said on Thursday, adding that preliminary probe suggested the explosives were planted a day before the attack.
The Darbha divisional committee of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) has claimed responsibility for the Wednesday’s attack on the minivan, which was part of a four-vehicle convoy carrying personnel of district reserve guard (DRG), a special anti-Maoist unit of the state police.
Senior intelligence officers said that Jagdish alias Bubra Kuharami , the military in-charge of the Darbha divisional committee of the CPI (Maoist), along with his team, was present near the site of attack. A resident of Paurgundem village in neighbouring Sukma district, Jagdish is also in-charge of the divisional technical team of the Katekalyan Area Committee.
“Technical inputs suggest that Jagdish was present near the blast site and he planned the attack,” said a senior intelligence officer, requesting anonymity.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Bastar range, Sunderaj P said it is possible that Jagdish was monitoring the attack, but he had not triggered it.
Around 150 DRG jawans were sent to Aranpur police station from Dantewada on Tuesday evening following specific inputs on the movement of Maoists. In the early hours on Wednesday, the DRG team engaged in a gunfight with Maoists around 8 km from Aranpur police station. Following the encounter, two suspected Maoists were detained, police had earlier said.
“Since Jagdish is technically capable, he was monitoring the IED (improvised explosive device) attack. Jagdish and his team were aware that a big team [of security personnel] is in the jungle and will return. Hence, it seems he planned the attack on Tuesday,” the senior officer cited above said.
Police on Thursday searched the foxhole dug in the road to plant the IED and claimed it was dug earlier, but explosives were placed a day before the attack.
“The foxhole was probably dug before the incident but the explosives, possibly ammonium nitrate, were placed a day before the incident. Three detonators were kept inside to trigger the blast,” another senior officer said, also declining to be named. “The forensic experts are yet to examine the details of the explosive used in the IED.”
Taking advantage of a local tribal festival Aamaa Pandum (celebrated with mangoes), the Maoists were closely monitoring the movement of vehicles on the road, the second officer said. Tribals in the area put wooden barricade on the road to stop vehicles and ask for donation from travellers to celebrate the festival. “There were two such Aamaa Pandum barriers on the road. We believe an informer of Maoists was standing at the barrier and was informing about every movement of vehicles to the person who was behind a Mahua tree [near the blast site] to trigger the IED,” the officer added.
Officers also pointed at intelligence failure and questioned why the operative forces were moving in daylight without a road-opening party. “I don’t understand why the DRG team was moving in daylight. Usually the movement of operative troopers is planned in the night because it is difficult to trigger IED in the night,” said a third police officer, declining to be named, adding there was a lack of human intelligence.
Meanwhile, in a statement released on Thursday, the Darbha Division Committee of the CPI (Maoist) claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it an “act of resistance” against alleged atrocities and killings by security forces, who, it added, have turned Bastar into a security camp. The Maoists also alleged that drone attacks were being carried out by the security forces.
“In such a situation the public has no option but to resist…in the recent act of resistance the PLGA forces attacked the DRG,” the statement read.
The Maoists also asked the youths to not join the police department and seek jobs in other government departments instead. “…In these pitiable conditions also many of you who have high qualification are forced to join police forces to provide for your families. We understand your compulsion, but we request you to not take part in the attacks against the public,” the statement added.
Intelligence agencies suggested the IED attack was an attempt to revive the Darbha divisional committee of CPI (Maoist).
“The Darbha Divisional Committee was founded in 2006 by Ganesh Uike, who had planned some of the biggest attacks in the history of Bastar. In 2013, the Jheeram Ghati massacre took place and over 32 people, including senior Congress leaders, were killed. Attacks followed in 2014, 2015, and 2016, but after the 2019 killing of BJP MLA Bheema Mandavi, security forces managed to dominate Maoists in this region and Maoists were losing their grip. It is this attack, the Maoists managed to revive this area and now they will try to strengthen their cadres,” said a senior intelligence officer, asking not to be named.
He added that Jagdish has strong intelligence and sizeable sympathizers in the area. “They are also focusing on this area because it connects Odisha, which is important for Maoists,” the intelligence officer added.
