Jharkhand Vikas Morcha chief Babulal Marandi had a close shave late on Friday evening when he crossed the road where Maoists had planned to ambush him near Panchrukhi Forest under Tisri police station in Giridih district, police said. According to police, Marandi was on the way of his ancestral village to attend a marriage party. Marandi’s vehicles with security men left Giridih at 9 pm for Baliyari village. Soon after the Marandi’s vehicles crossed the forest area, the outlawed rebels rushed the spot on their motorcycles and blocked the road with an electric pole. The blockade was cleared by police on Saturday morning.
Because of the deviation in time, the rebels could not ambush the former CM. Perhaps, they aimed that Marandi along with police force and cadres would return from the same path, but all of them returned from another path, which averted a big accident, said police. Notably, neglected from development with closure of industries, Giridih is also famous as ‘Red den’ of outlawed CPI naxal rebels. Atrocities of red rebels and its geographic locations have hindered development.