The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Friday sought a report over the landmine blast near Mungarbhumi on Sunki Ghat in Koraput district which claimed lives of eight policemen on Wednesday.
The human rights body asked for the report from the Home Department Principal Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) within two weeks. The report has been sought on how the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was followed during the incident, sources said.
Notably, eight OSAP personnel died and five others were injured in the landmine blast on February 1 evening while 13 assistant drivers and driver havildar of the OSAP were travelling by a police vehicle towards Angul to attend a training programme.
Meanwhile, a five-member Crime Branch team led by a DSP-level officer, along with a three-member forensic expert team has moved to Koraput to conduct an on-the-spot probe into the incident.
“The State Government has ordered for a CB probe into the incident. It is suspected that the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh Border Nandapur Committee of the Maoists is involved in the ghastly act. The police have expedited their operation against Maoists,” Southern Range DIG S Shyni told reporters.