Admitting lapses at the command-level in the anti-Naxal operations in Dantewada, in which 76 personnel were killed by the Left-wing militants on April 6, 2010, the Central Reserve Police Force on Friday shunted out three senior officials of the force, including deputy inspector-general Nalin Prabhat with immediate effect. Besides,
the force has constituted an inquiry committee to probe the “failure” on the part of CRPF IG (Dantewada) Ramesh Chandra, who retired on April 30, in handling the operation.
The two more officials, who have been transferred with immediate effect include Vimal Kumar Bisht, commandant of the 62 battalion, and inspector Sanjeev Bangree. While Mr Bisht has been transferred to CRPF training centre, Mr Bangree has been sent to Jammu and Kashmir with immediate effect.
Talking to this newspaper, CRPF director-general Vikram Srivastava said, “Considering the report of the inquiry committee constituted by the CRPF and probe by the E.N. Rammohan committee, which was constituted by the Centre to inquire the deadly Naxal attack, prima facie lapses were found on the part of three officers, including DIG (Dantewada).” All officers have been transferred with immediate effect, he added. Mr Nalin Prabhat has been sent back to Chandigarh as DIG CRPF he added. Now, Mr R.S. Sahota will take the charge of DIG CRPF (Dantewada).
According to sources, the role of a senior IPS officer, Mr Prabhat, who was in charge of the CRPF’s Dantewada operation had come under the scanner immediately after the incident. Sources said Mr Prabhat, DIG (Chandigarh) who had been given additional charge of Dantewada just nine days ago, allegedly did not seek the home ministry’s nod before starting a planned operation against the militants.
Sources said the officer did not even inform the CRPF headquarters in Delhi before engaging security forces in the 72-hour operation.
Sources further revealed that the senior officer called a meeting of all the 13 battalions deployed in Chhattisgarh on March 27, 28, 29 and April 1 and instructed them to start an operation against the Naxals in different locations in Dantewada. There are also reports that 11 CRPF companies were engaged in the operation.
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40-kg landmine found in C’garh
Age Correspondent
Raipur
May 21: Security personnel on Friday recovered a landmine packed with 40 kg of explosives, buried under a road at Furfudi in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, the police said.
The landmine was planted at a depth of about 3 feet and could not have been detected by scanning devices. The local villagers’ tip-off led a joint patrolling party to its recovery.
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Man with ‘Naxal links’ arrested
Age Correspondent
Lucknow
May 21: A man suspected of supplying explosives to Maoists was arrested in Sonebhadra district on Friday. Ashok Kumar was arrested from Langdra area with several detonators, gelatine rods and the widely-used commercial explosive ammonium nitrate.
“The man is making contradictory statements about the explosives recovered from his possession,” said a senior police official.