RAIPUR, Apr 10: Director General (naxal-ops) Girdhari Nayak on Tuesday evening denied any intelligence failure in the incident of IED blast that resulted in killing of BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi and four security personnel in Maoist-hit Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.
“The leader was already alerted about possible threats by police but he refused to follow the instruction given by Station House Officer (SHO) Sheel Aditya Singh,” stated Nayak.

 

 

In a backdrop of the incident, Director General of Police (DGP) DM Awasthi, DG (naxal-ops) Nayak and DG (Intelligence) Sanjay Pillay jointly held a press conference in Raipur.

When questioned about strategic shift in naxal operation after government in Chhattisgarh changed, Nayak said that naxal-operation is ongoing extensively and in last three months, over 17 ultras have been eliminated and IEDs in large number recovered. Operations in naxal-hit districts are ongoing and continue in future as well.

 

How it all happened

 

Shedding more details about chronology of the incident, DGP Awasthi informed that at 9 am, Bhima Mandavi in his bulletproof vehicles along with three vehicles security convey leaves from Dantewada for election campaign. In his security, around 50 personnel of District Reserve Guard (DRG) in 25 motorcycles were deployed. The leader returned to Dantewada-based party office after visiting Netapur, Tannenar, Metapal and other places, which are sensitive due to naxal point of view, during morning hours. After reaching the party office, Mandavi asked security in-charge of DRG to withdraw security cover as today’s scheduled visits/campaign programme was over. After having lunch, Mandavi along with three vehicles deployed in security duty leaves for party office at Kirandul where he interacted with workers and headed towards Bacheli.

 

“After coming to know about unexpected programme of the BJP leader heading towards Kuwakonda from Bacheli, Bacheli Station House Officer (SHO) Sheel Aditya Singh contacted Mandavi on his mobile at 15:50 and informed him about absence of Road Opening Party. Moreover, the SHO also requested Mandavi to avoid using the road as adequate security cover is not available but after one minute telephonic conversation, the leader overlooked the instructions and continued on the road,” said DGP.
As the MLA was familiar with the entire area, Mandavi overlooked instructions of SHO and decided to move ahead, added Awasthi.

 

Responding to a media question, Awasthi said, “With elaborate security cover, efforts are on to ensure safe transportation of electoral teams to respective polling centers. On the directives of Election Commission, sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling centers in Dantewada, Sukma, Bijapur and other districts have been shifted. Necessary alerts and inputs from Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) have been given to SPs of insurgency-hit districts. As a part of heightened security during election in Sukma and Bijapur, two Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) including Ratanlal Dangi and Akbar Ram Korram have been posted in the district. In a backdrop the naxal attack, DIG Amresh Mishra has been shifted to Dantewada.”

 

DGP further added that in a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, he has instructed to ensure elaborate security cover to all the public representatives.

“Security cover of any public representatives was not reduced and if required, security will be enhanced. The security cover given to Bhima Mandavi today was heightened with deployed of additional 50 DRG personnel,” pointed Awasthi.