Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh): Owing to a flare-up in Maoist activity; Left-wing extremism-affected Bastar division has witnessed an orgy of violence comprising an assault on a police camp, murder of a tribal headman and torching of vehicles that were being utilised under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Four personnel were injured – two of them grievously – during the attack in which an under-barrel grenade launcher was also fired at the base in Darbha, which is a rebel den within Kutru Police Station limits of restive Bijapur district. “The severely-injured duo has been flown to Raipur by helicopter while the rest are undergoing treatment at the District Hospital. The foursome comprises head constables Aashrit Vatti, Jitendra Mandavi, Tukeshwar Dhruv and Om Prakash Diwan. The attack commenced at 2300 hrs on Sunday. The personnel immediately took up positions and retaliated resulting in the ultras fleeing,” IG (Bastar Range) Sundarraj Pattilingam confirmed on Monday. A UNI report from Sukma district said that tribal leader Dudhganga was fatally stabbed – as he was suspected of being an informer – within Bheji Police Station limits. The man was returning from his relative’s dwelling in Kalaiguda village when he was targeted late Sunday. Six tractors used for road-laying were torched late Sunday at Mangnar village near the Dantewada-Bijapur district border by about 150 armed and uniformed insurgents – including many women – owing allegiance to the Communist Party of India (Maoist) East Bastar Division Committee and operating in Barsur area. The vehicles, which were parked in the vicinity of the panchayat building, were targeted using diesel brought out of their tanks. The militants cautioned the sarpanch, secretaries and other locals to avoid capitalists and law-enforcement personnel; even issued a press note and put up a banner warning a contractor against completing work on the Mangnar-Satdhar-Geedam stretch. UNI XC-AC
