In a pre-dawn strike, suspected Maoist rebels on Thursday stormed into senior Congress leader Avdesh Gautam’s house at Nakulnar in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, killing his brother-in-law and servant and injuring his wife, son and security guard, the police said. The Congress leader, however, escaped unhurt in the ambush and grenade attack by the ultras.
While Mr Gautam’s kin Sanjay (36) and domestic help Gaina (21) died on the spot, his wife, son and a security guard, hit by bullets and splinters of grenades, were rushed to the local government hospital. The injured were shifted to the government medical college and hospital at Jagadalpur in Bastar district, when their condition worsened, the police said.
Mr Gautam is a close associate of anti-Naxal movement — Salwa Judum — leader and veteran Congress leader Mahendra Karma. He was provided security by the police following several attempts on his life. Meanwhile, the police claimed to have killed at least six Naxals, when another group launched an attack on the police station at Kuakunda, barely 1.5 km from Mr Gautam’s residence.
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‘Train cops in guerrilla warfare’
Age Correspondent
Raipur
July 8: The Chhattisgarh chief minister, Mr Raman Singh, feels the urgency for training the police in guerrilla warfare by the Army to counter Maoists. “Army must be roped in to train the state police on guerrilla warfare to fight the Left-wing extremists, if the Centre is not in favour of direct involvement of the armed forces in anti-Naxal operations,” he said.
Mr Singh called for “partial involvement” of armed forces in the anti-Naxal measures like giving logistic supports to the police and Central paramilitary forces, engaged in the battle against the ultras. Indian Air Force helicopters are needed to be used for evacuation and movement of paramilitary and state troopers during the anti-Maoist operations, he said.
The chief minister hoped that union home secretary, Mr G.K. Pillai, who visited the Maoist-infested areas of the state recently, would put forth the views of the state government on Naxal management strategy before the Centre.