‘IED in Dantewada blast was planted 2 months ago very deep using foxhole mechanism’

The improvised explosive device (IED) used in the blast that killed 10 district reserve guards (DRG) personnel and one civilian on April 26 in Aranpur of Dantewada was planted very deep under the road using ‘foxhole mechanism’ to drill a tunnel from the roadside, the Bastar Police said.

“De-mining activity is carried out on the road regularly. It seems that as the IED was planted very deep, it could not be detected during the de-mining,” a statement by the police said.

Inspection of the spot suggests prima facie that the IED was planted about one-and-a-half to two months ago, and a shallowly buried wire had been extended to about 150 metres from the side of the road to the forest. This wire was used by the Maoists to trigger the blast when they got the opportunity on April 26, the police said.

It has been speculated that the IED used in the blast was about 40-50 kg, given the massive impact of the blast that completely destroyed the minivan carrying the personnel.

The police also revealed that five of the 10 DRG personnel who were killed in the blast were Maoists who had surrendered under the rehabilitation policy of the Chhattisgarh government. They included head constables Joga Sodhi, Munna Ram Kadhti, newly recruited constables Joga Kawasi and Harirram Mandavi and secret soldier Raju Ram Kartam. The other deceased DRG personnel were head constable Santosh Tamo, newly recruited constables Dulgo Mandavi, Lakhmu Markam, secret soldiers Jairam Podiyam and Jagdish Kawasi and driver (civilian) Dhani Ram Yadav.

Though the police statement did not mention the role of Maoist commander Jagdish, the military in-charge of the Darbha divisional committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), in the blast, his presence in the area is confirmed by the fact that he has been named as an accused in the case registered by Aranpur police regarding the encounter that occurred between the security forces and Maoists on the early morning of April 26.

The commander’s name, however, does not appear in the list of accused in the police case registered in connection with the blast. Jagdish and most of his associates managed to escape following the encounter.

It was while returning from this encounter, carrying one injured and one arrested Maoists, that the blast had occurred, killing 11.

Jagdish, also known as Bubra Kuharami, is a resident of neighbouring Sukma district and is also in-charge of the divisional tactical team of Katekalyan Area Committee of the CPI (Maoist). He carries a reward of Rs 8 lakh. It was in the wake of a tip-off regarding his presence along with his team that the DRG and central armed force (CAF) teams had gone out into forests on an anti-naxal operation.

The Bastar police statement, giving details, said the joint team from DRG Dantewada and CAF camp at Nahadi that gone out on the anti-naxal operation on the night of April 25 and the encounter occurred in the Aranpur police station area at around 6.30 am on April 26. After searching the encounter spot, the police apprehended two suspected Maoists, militia member Lakhma Kawasi (30), and Sanna alias Kosa Madavi, 25, both residents of the village Porokkadi in Jagargunda of Sukma district. Backpacks, Maoist literature and daily use items were recovered from the spot.

An FIR was lodged in the Aranpur police station regarding the encounter under sections 147, 148, 149, and 307 of the Indian Penal Code, sections 13(1), 38(2), and 39 (2) of UAPA and sections 25 and 27 of Arms Act against Maoist cadres of Darbha divisional committee Jagdish, Lakkhe, Linge, Somdu, Mahesh, Hidma, Umesh, Deve, Nand Kumar, Lakhma, Kosa, Mukesh and others.

The statement said Sanna alias Kosa, who was arrested from the encounter spot, had sustained bullet wounds on the thigh and elbow and needed immediate medical attention. The DRG team was ferrying him and the other suspected Maoist to the Dantewada district headquarters in the afternoon. The DRG team had left the Aranpur police station in three vehicles when the Maoists hiding in the forests triggered the blast at Pedka Chowk, just two kilometres from the police station. The FIR for this encounter named Darbha division committee Maoists cadres Chaitu, Deva, Mangtu, Raisay, Jailal, Baman, Some, Rakesh, and Bhima.