FIVE MORE POLICE MEN KILLED IS HOME MINISTER BOTHERED

Maoists kill 5 security personnel in ChhattisgarhThu Jun 09 2011, 13:08 hrs Raipur:

Five security personnel of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) were killed in a predawn Maoist attack near their camp on Narayanpur-Orchha road, about 20 kilometres from the district headquarters of Narayanpur district in tribal Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.

Maoists resorted to their usual tactics and waited behind the bushes some distance away from the CAF camp, which was set up during the recent Lok Sabha byelection. A group of five security personnel where attacked when they went to the fields early morning as there were no toilet facilities in the camp, police sources said.

The rebels fired at the security personnel, killing four of them on the spot while a critically injured constable succumbed to his injuries while being brought to the district hospital for treatment. The victims have been identified as head constable Santosh Sahare, constables Chandan Singh, Tarachand, Rajendra Diwan and santosh Kumar Yadav.

After firing at the security personnel, the police said, the rebels took away an AK 47 assault rifle and another firearm from the policemen, who belonged to the 16th battalion of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force.

Absence of toilet facilities in police stations and camps of security personnel in the tribal areas of Bastar and in other Naxalite areas of Rajnandgaon, bordering Gadchiroli in neighboring Maharashtra, has claimed many lives. Normally, the security personnel make do in open fields, with one or two armed personnel accompanying them. These security personnel turned out to be sitting ducks as the Maoists attack them and snatched away weapons.

A similar incident happened at Madanwada in Rajnandgaon district few years ago. That led to the massacre of 33 security personnel, including the then superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar Choubey. In an early morning attack, the rebels first shot dead two constables, posted at Madanwada camp, and later laid an ambush on the way and targetted the security personnel rushing to the spot.

While the then Rajnandgaon district superintendent of police V K Choubey and 33 others were killed in that ambush, Inspector General of Police Mukesh Gupta had a narrow escape.